There is No War in Ba Sing Se
by AWildJaxWrites
Summary: Life was good for Zuko: the war was over, his friends were safe, & he was Fire Lord. His future was finally hopeful. When Zuko woke up, he was back on his ship sailing toward Sokka & Katara's village. Lu Ten is alive, Aang is still missing, & there is no war in Ba Sing Se. But Sozin's Comet is coming & Zuko thinks it's his only way back to his timeline. (Zutara fic) hiatus til 8/31
1. Chapter 1

It was the icy fingers of cold wind, prodding him from a gap in the blanket, that woke Zuko from his sleep. He had gone to bed exhausted; seeing off his friends and staying awake for too long, terrified by what laid ahead.

He pulled the blanket tighter around him and repeated his mantra, as well worn as prayer beads of the devout by this point.

_The war is over. You are Fire Lord. The world is safe. Your friends love you._

Zuko repeated the words over and over but still, his body began to tremble. Except for this time, he knew it wasn't the fear. It really was cold.

CLANG!

The metallic sound made him sit upright, his heart pounding in his chest as rapid as a bird's. It was dark and he could not see, but he knew that sound. And now, he recognized the scent of the frigid air.

Holding up a hand, as if he were waiting for the darkness to hand him something, Zuko hesitated. His hand shook - the cold was very persistent - and he swallowed hard in his dry throat.

"Please." He said, beseeching the darkness. Please let this be a nightmare.

He breathed out a flame and illuminated the room.

It was tiny and metal, with the familiar tapestry of the Fire Nation emblem hanging on the wall next to where his bed lay.

It was the small cabin of a warship.

Zuko immediately extinguished the flame and his hands went into his hair. His breathing hastened erratically, and he felt his blood slam through his veins. It both warmed and numbed him, this physical panic that draped over him as a new blanket.

The ship he had taken to the South Pole had been much the same. But this was over, he had already done this. He could not do it again.

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut and gripped his hair. It hurt, but he still was not waking himself.

Abruptly, he let go and brought his hands down slowly. He looked at them, only able to see the faint whiteness of his skin in the dark.

He didn't have this hair back then.

Lightly touching his face, he brought his fingertips to his cheeks. Tapping in a wide circle, he had to force them upward with a conscious thought.

When he felt the space, his hands jerked away and he scrabbled backward into the wall. It was cold and he had hit it hard enough to bruise his spine, but he only felt the stillness of his heart. His breath left him and his inner fire dimmed.

Then all at once, the air returned and Zuko was gasping.

He didn't have his scar.


	2. Chapter 2

Pulling on more clothes, Zuko stood still trembling in the small vacant space of his quarters. He had felt his body as he dressed and found no other obvious signs of change, save for one. Again, his hand hovered above the spot on his abdomen, but he dared not touch it.

His flesh, from head to toe, was unblemished.

Pushing out of the heavy iron door, Zuko stuck his head out into the empty hall. Save for the noises of the ship itself, it was quiet. After one last shudder, Zuko stepped out of the room and shut the door. It creaked and groaned on its metal hinges and Zuko squeezed his eyes shut. Still, no one came, and he tried to ease the tension in his back.

He walked down the hall, his eyes straining in the red light cast from the sconces on the walls. Everything was just the same as it had been last year, but this was not his past.

Thoughts swam as Zuko pushed through the darkness down the thin hall. Then almost blundered into the vertical ladder bolted into the wall and felt the jolt of fear when he reached it. Putting a hand to the rungs, he looked up at the closed doorway.

A sigh before he pulled himself upward.

As daylight poured through the opening, Zuko's eyes watered and the door swung heavy away from him. It hit the steel deck with a much louder clang and then he could hear running footsteps.

A pair of masked guards reached him just as he emerged.

"Ah! Your Highness!" One of them said as they both bowed their salute.

Zuko masked his hesitation by brushing invisible dirt from his hands on his pants. The air was frigid and smelled like ice.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Still in the Sharptooth Sea. We're trying to find a port of entry nearest to the village." The other guard answered.

The same as last time. Yet that time, they had not bothered to find a safe place to pull in.

"Was there a, light?" Zuko asked haltingly.

"No sir." The second guard replied uneasily. "Did you see something? Below deck?"

"No. No." Zuko said, far too quickly to be natural. He ran a hand through his hair, a common gesture now but not then. "And my uncle-"

"We have already sent word to the Fire Lord when we sighted the village." The first guard interrupted. "Are you feeling well sir?"

Zuko froze with his hand still in his hair.

Fire Lord?

"Is everything okay?" A new voice said and Zuko turned.

Lu Ten blinked back at him.

And everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

There was warmth. As Zuko rubbed his eyes, he smiled. It had been a bizarre dream and uncomfortable. Sitting up in bed, he stretched and looked around his room.

And found the metal walls.

There was no fear this time, only numb confusion. Either he had finally succumbed to the madness that seemed inherent in Sozin's line or else he had been cursed.

Zuko had no idea what he could even do next. If he acted as if this was all real, it didn't change the fact that he was a stranger here. His cousin Lu Ten was dead, his uncle retired to Ba Sing Se, and this trip had already happened in a vastly different way.

Zuko's heartbeat paused for a terrified moment.

Was Aang at the village?

He had no way of knowing how much was different and how much he should already know. Even worse, Zuko didn't know what would happen when the people of this timeline found out he didn't belong.

The door to his cabin opened and Zuko jumped. His heartbeat had returned and was fluttering wildly in his chest. He tried to still himself as his cousin stepped through the raised doorway.

"Are you feeling okay?" Lu Ten asked, hesitating just inside the room.

"What are we doing here?" Zuko blurted. He was too anxious to plan but mindful enough to realize his misstep. Luckily, Lu Ten just shook his head and laughed.

"Is the cold getting to you finally? I want to remind you that you begged Father to let you come on this expedition." He replied and shut the door. "Don't worry, we won't be staying long."

"I guess I just don't understand." Zuko mumbled.

"Are you sure you're not fevered? The cold causes our inner fire to go a little crazy." Lu Ten said and walked over. He held out a hand to check and Zuko swatted it away, not wanting this man to touch him. Lu Ten just shrugged and leaned against the wall next to his bed.

"I get it, being out of the palace is a scary thing. But trust me, this will be an easy trip. We already know there's a Waterbender here, and we have the letter from their King in the North. There won't be any trouble." He explained.

A sucking void opened up suddenly under Zuko's stomach and he found himself speechless.

They had come for Katara.

"Someone on the crew has found a wreck of an old ship. We're going to check it out and then head to the village." Lu Ten said before tapping against the wall as he pushed away. "You should get dressed and head up to the deck if you want to disembark."

Zuko only nodded and watched as Lu Ten walked back to the door, opened it, and stepped out. When the door shut behind him, Zuko shoved a fist to his mouth to keep from vomiting. Focusing on his breathing, he waited till the urge passed and then swung his legs out of bed.

He had to gather more information.

Iroh was Fire Lord, which meant Azulon was dead or incapacitated. Lu Ten had not died during the Siege of Ba Sing Se, but Zuko didn't know if that had even happened in this timeline. He had not faced his father in an Agni Kai and they were not hunting for the Avatar. But there were still many things, many vitally important things, that he still didn't know.

Most pressing was why they were looking for a Waterbender.

Zuko dressed more appropriately. Lu Ten had used the term expedition and something about a king, so he assumed it was to be more formal. When he went to tie up his hair, Zuko found his reflection to be jarring, and couldn't make eye contact. He felt like an unwilling thief, and wanted to be rid of this body.

Looking up at the face, almost coquettishly, Zuko once again touched at the unbroken skin around his eye.

He had no idea what it all meant. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

As there was still no real port, the ship crashed into the soft, snowy shoreline nearest the wreck. Zuko was jolted forward and Lu Ten chuckled as he plucked his hapless cousin back onto his feet. They both waited for the soldiers - for now Zuko could see them for military folk - to put down the gangplank and secure it in the slush.

"I think this ship is two generations old, at least." Lu Ten remarked as they started down the metal ramp. He was speaking of ships, not human lives, but it still made Zuko unsteady on his feet. He had almost forgotten how long the war had been raging, having been at its end.

"How do you think it will all end?" Zuko asked. Lu Ten shrugged easily.

"With our dominion over all the world of course." He answered and then glanced at Zuko. "But don't worry, the North Pole won't be so bad."

Zuko's face knotted in fresh confusion but he said nothing. Following Lu Ten silently, they picked their way through the snow toward the rusting carcass of an early Snapper ship. A trio of soldiers went poking through first, severing trip wires and clearing debris, before they all let Lu Ten pass. Zuko found himself stumbling around his cousin, having spent years being the Crown Prince and the one everyone else always let through. Now he was tagging along, walking at Lu Ten's right and just a little behind.

It was an odd feeling lost in the sea of competing weirdness.

The inside of the ship felt dry, but was dusted in ice and snow. Drifts of both had swept in through open portways or through the broken windows of the bridge. It had never been a living thing, but it still felt dead.

Picking up an abandoned helmet, Zuko wiped futility at the years of grime. They looked strange, as the helmets hadn't looked like this in his lifetime. It almost felt like they were looking at the remains of a different war. One he could perhaps excuse himself of the responsibility.

Dropping the helmet back onto the ground, he wiped his hands on the front of his coat.

"Isn't this amazing? Look, you can see where the initial repulsion pierced the hull." Lu Ten said as Zuko approached. Lu Ten stood on a slope of snow that had fallen through a puncture in the side of the ship. Other massive ice spears had trapped the ship, pining it in the air like a butterfly to a board.

Standing on the bridge, Zuko looked up through an escape hatch in the roof. The cold summer light illuminated small snowflakes and he shivered. Katara and Aang had come through here, tripping a wire that shot a flare and caught his attention. From here he had followed them to Kyoshi, meeting them again and again.

Zuko looked down and saw he was gripping the front of his coat, right at his midsection.

"Come on Zuko." Lu Ten said and slapped his back. "They should have unloaded the supplies by now. Let's go introduce ourselves to the villagers."


	5. Chapter 5

The massive sleds had been made of a lightweight wood since their mounts weren't used to being hitched to anything. On the sleds were crates of food and bundles of lumber; relief stores for an area that didn't have timber or farming. It only increased Zuko's confusion, but he kept quiet. He tried to think back to earlier in the year and what possibly could have changed.

The Ice Raids had begun right after the last Airbender had been killed. It was well understood that the next Avatar would be a Waterbender, so Azulon had sent troops to both Poles. The North had sealed itself away, being only one city, but the South Pole had tribes all over the lower continent. After forty years of raids, and no sight of the next Avatar, the raids were halted. Only a few raiding parties were sent out; usually by men who had a weakness.

Zuko had only gone to the South Pole because he had spent three years combing over each and every Air Temple. He had gone to circle back, to be precise where other men had blundered.

If Lu Ten wasn't searching for the Avatar, why had he come to the South Pole?

Zuko hoped that by keeping quiet, he would learn something, anything, that would help him understand this timeline.

The sleds pulled up short just outside of the village. Standing at the top of a soft snow wall was one lone figure. Blanching, Zuko remembered how he had arrived. And how Sokka had been standing sentinel.

Lu Ten halted the party and urged his mount forward.

"Hello! I am Lu Ten, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. I am requesting peaceful entrance to your village." He called out. The figure that Zuko knew was Sokka shifted uneasily at the top of the wall.

"Why are you here?" Sokka called back. Zuko winced at the sound, hearing the youth in his friend's voice. Along with the inherent mistrust.

"We've been told there is a Waterbender in your village." Lu Ten answered honestly. "We're here to check on them, and offer a ride to the North Pole for training. If they'd like."

Sokka straightened and Zuko felt his stomach clench. Sokka's worst nightmare had just arrived; another Fire Nation soldier come now to take his sister away. Zuko turned slightly to watch his cousin.

"You can't take her." Sokka yelled, his voice thin and high with fear.

"His mother I bet." Lu Ten muttered under his breath to Zuko.

"Or a sister." Zuko murmured back and Lu Ten smirked.

"I don't plan on taking anyone. I only offer the same peaceful passage I am seeking." Lu Ten said back to Sokka. "And I bring supplies."

Atop the wall, Sokka turned, as if listening to someone down below. Without a word, he jumped down from the wall and disappeared from view, making Lu Ten sigh in irritation.

"The whole village is probably filled with women and feeble idiots. Poor peasant like that doesn't stand a chance." He remarked and Zuko's stomach twisted. He had forgotten how they all used to talk, even Iroh, before the fateful siege changed everything.

When Zuko didn't say anything, Lu Ten turned to regard him.

"You're awfully quiet Zuko. Still feeling ill?" He questioned.

"I'm fine." Zuko replied sullenly.

"Well is there something in your eye? You keep touching it."

Zuko's hand snapped back down onto the reins of his mount and he pulled his lips into a thin line.

"It's the cold." He said firmly and Lu Ten just made a quick grunt of acceptance.

Zuko's hands twisted around the reins. He really had to work harder on not giving himself away.


	6. Chapter 6

The village had a wall, but no real gate. A lattice door made of leather was propped in a narrow gap. Zuko realized it was more about keeping the polar bear hounds out than as protection against an invading force. Back then, the first time, Zuko had just seen the snow wall as a pitiable attempt at defense.

His cousin had been right; they never stood a chance.

The gate was pulled back slowly. As it inched to the side, Lu Ten and Zuko rode forward. They waited patiently for the villagers to clear the way. Zuko could hear the straining grunts of children as the gate stuttered open.

He frowned.

Lu Ten glanced at him before shifting over in his seat.

"You shouldn't glower so. It puts them off." He whispered.

"Sorry." Zuko replied and tried to keep his face neutral.

Lu Ten rode in first and, though his back spasmed in protest, Zuko followed after. He knew how it must have looked, riding in on war mounts; he had always been aware of how things looked after the Agni Kai. Bursting the shore and breaching their wall, coming down a gangplank flanked by guards, it had all been in the presentation.

The village now was as it had been then, older women grabbed small children to their legs. They were too frightened to speak, and even the children stayed silent. There was only Sokka, with his warrior's paint, glaring up at them.

Pausing for a moment, to let them all see him astride a beast that was almost as dangerous as himself, Lu Ten allowed the fear to linger but not turn to rage. He swung down gracefully, took off his helmet, and gave a polite bow to the gathered villagers.

"I come on behalf of my father, the Fire Lord Iroh, to pay restitution for our crimes against your people." Lu Ten began as Zuko also dismounted. His cousin gave a broad sweep of an arm and the supply sleds were brought around.

"My father offers his most humble apologies for the reprehensible capture of your Benders. We come now with an affidavit from your King in the North." Lu Ten continued and gestured offhandedly to a guard. The other figure stepped forward and handed him a scroll, sealed with blue wax and spilling red and blue ribbons out one end.

"I offer peaceful transport for the Waterbender who resides here. My ship will take her to the North Pole where she can be trained, properly, and bring back the power to your," Lu Ten hesitated as his eyes flickered over the small number of faces. "Tribe." He added firmly and in a manner that made the homes and people feel smaller.

Zuko, who had been staring at Sokka's twisted face, now scanned the group for Katara. He couldn't see her, nor had he been able to see any orange. Perhaps Aang wasn't here, or perhaps he had learned to wear other clothes.

"Wood and wheat won't bring back my mother." Sokka spat out and Zuko looked back at him. Lu Ten gave Zuko a knowing look and sardonic smile before turning to address Sokka.

"Your mother will be returned after her training." He said. Sokka's face colored, even under the paint.

"You KILLED her! Six years ago!" Sokka bellowed. Lu Ten's face fell into a scowl. He sighed as he began to squeeze the bridge of his nose.

"There's not even a Waterbender here." He muttered to himself. Zuko shifted on his feet uneasily. He glanced about again for Katara, but did not find her.

"My grandfather, the late Fire Lord Azulon, was misguided in his attempt to hunt down the Avatar. It is unfortunate what the raids caused, and my father is seeking to correct that course." Lu Ten said with barely restrained irritation. He relaxed and started to smile.

"If there is not Waterbender here, we will leave the supplies and return to our ship." He added and the soldiers began to untie the supplies. Lu Ten took a few steps forward and held out the scroll to Sokka. To his credit, Sokka didn't even flinch.

"This is the treaty my father signed with King Arnook. Take it. You can use it if you ever travel." Lu Ten added as Sokka took the scroll. After giving him a curt nod, Lu Ten turned and walked to the sleds. Zuko lingered, as Sokka looked at the scroll in his hand.

"I'm sorry, about your mother." Zuko said, his voice halting. Sokka looked back at him, his eyes hard.

"My-" Zuko cut himself off and cleared his throat. He didn't know if his mother was dead in this timeline. "I'm sorry." He said again and turned away.

At least Aang wasn't here. At least Katara was safe.


	7. Chapter 7

The villagers did not assist with the unloading, and most of them slowly dispersed back into their homes. Sokka stayed for a long time, silently watching the soldiers as they deposited crates and beams of lumber in an orderly pile. As he started to sway on his feet, Sokka grunted in discomfort before sitting down, resting his boomerang on his knees as he watched them. An elderly woman - Zuko assumed was the one they called Gran-Gran - came up and spoke softly to him.

Zuko knew he was staring, but he couldn't help it. As much as he knew this wasn't his time, this wasn't his life, the possibility of getting to start over was almost impossible to resist.

"They're odd, aren't they." Lu Ten said, startling Zuko. He stayed quiet and started fiddling with the latches of his saddle.

"Feeling out of your element?" Lu Ten questioned, leaning against the hind leg of Zuko's mount.

"It's kind of hard not to." Zuko replied. "It's all so, different."

"Could you imagine Azula being here?" Lu Ten asked and Zuko's head shot up.

"That would be terrifying." He said. Lu Ten laughed.

"She would be able to figure out how to set the ice on fire and then do so."

Zuko shuddered. "I'm glad she's not here."

"We were all a little relieved when she left I think." Lu Ten agreed and Zuko scowled again. More information that was important, but completely unknown. Father had never allowed them to stray from the royal estates. Azula leaving, either of her own volition or by design, was unimaginable.

"Your Highness." A guard interrupted them. "The supplies have been unloaded."

Lu Ten pushed himself off the mount and looked around.

"Alright," He said. "Let's get back to the ship."

As Zuko swung himself up and onto the saddle, the other men froze at the sounds of a struggle. They all turned, and the guards surged forward, but relaxed as they saw a pair of adults grappling with a young woman.

Zuko squeezed the reigns as his heart squeezed to a halt.

"Let, me, GO!" Katara yelled and writhed in their grip. Sokka had run over and was trying to quiet her, but Katara kicked up a clump of snow.

"I'm the Waterbender!" She screamed and Lu Ten took a step forward. The villagers, en masse, closed ranks. From his seat, Zuko could see over the wall of their shoulders and watched as Katara bit into the mittened hand of one of the adults.

"Let her pass." Lu Ten ordered and the villagers hesitated.

"Katara, no!" Sokka yelped as Katara gave a final grunt of exertion. Then she shoved herself through the bodies and popped out in front of Lu Ten.

"I want to go." Katara said, keeping her face set and stern. Sokka slid past the villagers easily and grabbed his sister's arm.

"Katara, they're Fire Nation!" He said.

"They'll take me to get trained." Katara hissed back.

"It's a lie! You know it's a lie!"

"Sokka!"

"I-" Zuko started and Katara faced him. His palms began to sweat. "I mean, we won't hurt you."

Not again. He added silently to himself.

Katara narrowed her eyes and yanked her arm free of Sokka's grip, still staring at Zuko.

"You wouldn't get the chance to." Katara replied, her tone neat and even. Zuko gulped and gave a curt nod.

"You can't go alone!" Sokka said. "They'll just kill you when they get into open water."

"Open water isn't exactly the best place to attack a Waterbender." Lu Ten replied blithely. Sokka only glowered back at him.

Last year, there had been a fight. Zuko, having something to prove, had gone against Sokka one on one. Lu Ten was older and assured. It wouldn't be much of a fight if it came to it.

"You should come with us." Zuko blurted, glancing briefly in panic at Lu Ten. "As an escort."

More than angry, Lu Ten simply looked confused. Sokka looked surprised for a moment. Then resumed his glower.

"A young lady should certainly have a chaperone." Lu Ten agreed and Katara smirked at her brother. The crowd parted as she walked back to her grandmother and picked up a bag. As she slung it over her shoulder, she grabbed another. This one she shoved at Sokka as she walked back toward the soldiers.

"Let's go." She said as he stood blinking down at the pack in his hands. Katara didn't even look back while she marched up to Zuko.

"Well?" She asked. Recoiling, and suddenly feeling a sweat break out, Zuko hesitated before reaching out to her. Katara grasped his forearm and he half swung her, half yanked her onto the saddle behind him. Lu Ten chuckled as he mounted his own beast and pulled it halt in front of Sokka.

"No thanks." Sokka muttered and walked over to the empty sled.

"We are grateful for your hospitality. Another ship will return in three months with more supplies." Lu Ten announced curtly. Without waiting for a question, he turned his beast and rode back out of the gate. The soldiers waited and Zuko abruptly urged his beast forward.

As they jolted forward in their seats, Katara wrapped her arms around Zuko's middle. Under his coat and sweat, Zuko went cold.


	8. Chapter 8

During the ride, as the much lighter sleds hit ruts and divots in the snow, Sokka was tossed about. After one especially loud and creative burst of swearing, Katara turned her face into Zuko's back to laugh. The action caused him to shiver and sit upright, feeling his heart beating in his throat. He kept wanting to respond, to joke with her about something that had happened - Isn't this better than the pirates? - but she wasn't his Katara.

Zuko grimaced. No, this isn't a Katara I know.

The misplaced familiarity conflicted with his paranoia to keep this guise in place. It was just more difficult simply because he hadn't the time to adjust before he saw Katara, of all people. The woman who had actually listened to him, had offered to heal him, and who he had done everything to try and protect.

As he felt her warmth at his back, he was terrified that he would say something to give himself away. Even the smallest of things could prove to be his undoing.

Wild-eyed, Zuko glanced over without turning his head to see Lu Ten watching him. Once their eyes met, Lu Ten shrugged in an exaggerated fashion and turned away, pulling his mount to the right. Zuko set his shoulders and tried to calm himself down. As it was, no one had noticed anything too out of the ordinary with him.

The only positive to being socially awkward since childhood.

"Are you okay?" He asked, once he was sure no one was paying attention to him.

"Why?" Katara asked, suspicious. Shards of ice prickled in his neck and chest. He tried to swallow, and failed multiple times before gulping a lump down. He was starting to shake.

"It's just." Zuko fumbled over his thoughts and couldn't find a coherent sentence. "I was hoping our first meeting wouldn't be. Bad." He added firmly and gripped the reins tightly.

"I don't see how it could have gone well." Katara remarked. "Considering the decades of slaughter your nation inflicted on my people."

"I didn't slaughter anyone." Zuko mumbled, feeling childish and petulant.

Katara scoffed, but it sounded almost like a chuckle.

"That's why it didn't go poorly." She said. They were quiet for a moment and Zuko felt her lean away from him.

"What's your name?" She asked suddenly. Zuko frowned, confused. Then he remembered his unintentional duplicity and cleared his throat.

"I'm Zuko."

"You're a prince right? You don't look like the other soldiers." Katara added when he didn't answer right away.

"I am."

"So the chatty one is your brother?"

Zuko looked about for Lu Ten and saw him engaged with a soldier. Lu Ten laughed and the soldier urged his mount faster with a sharp call.

"Cousin." Zuko replied. As a swarm of memories washed over him, he spoke again, quickly. "I have a younger sister."

"Is that why you invited my brother?" Katara asked. Zuko tried to imagine being protective of Azula. It was not an easy picture to conjure and he frowned again.

"Sure." He replied, not wanting to engage that any further.

"Are you really going to take me to the North Pole? Or is this another raid?" Katara questioned.

Zuko smiled, though she couldn't see it, and laughed lightly.

"Do you think I'd tell you the truth if it was a raid?" He asked in reply.

"I trust you. You have a kind face." She said.

That was a sucker punch to the gut. Remembering all the times he had been called grumpy or unpleasant, just by the nature of being scarred, made his smile dissolve on his face.

But he wasn't burned now.

There had been many, many times where Zuko had wondered what his life would have been like had he not faced his father in an Agni Kai. He knew, deep down, that he would have eventually been banished at some point. But perhaps it would have been to a far-off outpost in the Earth Kingdom, where he couldn't do any harm. He would have been alone, till his father recalled him for some political purpose.

Or else dispatched him quietly in a place where people could easily disappear.

In this timeline, Ozai hadn't become Fire Lord, so there would be no opportunity for banishment or a quiet, concealed murder. Whatever intrigue had been put into motion had nothing to do with him and he had not been injured. He had new opportunities.

He had a kind face now.

"Trying to think of a lie?" Katara asked, rousing him from his thoughts.

"Sorry." He said quickly. "No, there's nothing sinister going on. But that doesn't mean I actually understand everything that's happening."

Katara made a noise of acceptance. She didn't say anything further, and Zuko started to relax. The scenery around their path was distracting, as the ice glinted in the sunlight. It must have been evening, as Zuko's body started to feel heavy. But with the sun still high overhead, his head started to swim.

It was also odd to hear the crashing of small waves, and yet see no sand. The beaches were slush and ice, melting a bit as the ocean lapped at the shoreline. They were staying away from the slush of course, as their mounts barely tolerated the packed snow, but the discordant feel of the shore made Zuko uneasy.

He mentioned as much to Katara and she laughed.

"Have you ever seen snow before?" She questioned. Zuko paused, trying to think of a time before his exile.

"The mountains in the middle of my country. Their peaks are white." He said, not really giving a proper answer.

"Well, just wait till I see a tree." Katara replied. "That'll really be something."


	9. Chapter 9

Sokka and Katara both hesitated when they reached the boat. The pair stood together while they watched the soldiers load the cargo, moving up and down the metal ramp with rhythmic clanking.

Zuko, as much as he wanted to stay with them, walked around till he found Lu Ten. His cousin was overseeing the loading, or pretending to. It was another soldier who went down the line, marking things on a board, while Lu Ten watched. He didn't seem to notice Zuko as he approached and Zuko stood quietly by his side.

"So now we see the real Zuko." Lu Ten remarked idly and Zuko snapped to attention.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Lu Ten smiled and moved leisurely to look back at him.

"We all have to act a certain way at the palace. Once we get far enough past the wall though," Lu Ten drifted, and his gaze seemed to be looking past Zuko. He held his silence, and Zuko felt awkward but made no reply. Then Lu Ten shook himself and his smile brightened.

"I'm just glad to see that you're not such a prissy little brat outside of the palace." Lu Ten finished and clapped Zuko's shoulder with a friendly weight. Zuko hesitated for a fraction of a second, before blundering ahead in his thought.

"What happened in Ba Sing Se?" He asked. Lu Ten looked surprised, and a little scared. Zuko shrank a bit under the face, working out what the repercussions might be from slipping. Lu Ten settled into a sadder disposition and put his arm around Zuko's shoulders.

"Your father still going on about that is he?" Lu Ten asked and shook his head. "The siege just wasn't worth it. Especially after Grandfather passed."

"I just." Zuko didn't have a point to end with and decided just to keep quiet.

"It's a shame, what happened. And trust me, I'll do everything I can to get you back in the palace." Lu Ten added hurriedly and put a hand to Zuko's chest. "I won't abandon my favorite cousin in the barbaric North Pole."

Now Zuko looked confused and a little scared.

"The unpleasantness is over, but there's still bad blood. You know your father, he's very vengeful." Lu Ten ushered him away from the loading ramp and back to the gangplank on the side. "And I know you're sad about Mai, but father does care about you and he doesn't think it would be a very good match. Especially since Azula was already in Omashu."

"But." Zuko sputtered and Lu Ten laughed.

"Look, this trip will be a lot of fun. Let's not worry about the rest right now." He said and then stepped away from Zuko. They had come around the ship and now stood across from Sokka and Katara.

Zuko felt irrevocably sad, seeing his friends watch him with mistrust. He didn't know how it would be possible to befriend them in this current timeline.

"It's time to board, your Highness." A guard said from beside Zuko. He nodded and turned away from the siblings.


	10. Chapter 10

Zuko hovered around Lu Ten as they disembarked till his cousin started to snap at him. Not wanting to interact too much with either Katara or Sokka, Zuko retreated to his cabin. The room was small, and Zuko promptly began to pace. It was only four anxious strides from end to end, and he changed his fidgeting with every turn.

He had collected pieces that he thought must be important, but ultimately meant nothing at the moment. Azulon was dead, the siege of Ba Sing Se had failed before Lu Ten had died, his sister and Mai were in Omashu for some reason.

Zuko stopped and put a hand out, as if his thoughts were another person.

Was Omashu a colony already?

With a loud groan, Zuko sat down hard on his bed and held his face in his hands. Something had happened, something that had kept his uncle as the Dragon of the West and caused his father to be pushed to the fringe. What that meant, or what portend that was supposed to be, Zuko simply didn't know. There was still talk of world domination, Lu Ten had said so explicitly, but why bother making peace with the Water Tribe?

Why was it a Fire Nation cause to have Waterbenders be trained?

Zuko had first thought to follow threads to understand his place in this world. But know he saw that he was entangled, nearly strung up by the numerous strands he couldn't even see. And he was entirely alone.

The friends he had in this world he could not trust. The ones he could trust were not his friends.

Yet.

Rubbing his face, Zuko tried to calm himself. Letting out a slow breath, Zuko then stood and tried to walk as confidently as he could to the door. It was late in the evening now, and the crew would be eating dinner. With the hopes that he could move unseen, Zuko moved out into the cramped hall and back to the ladder he had taken the night before. This time, he didn't let the door fall back onto the deck, and clambered out quietly.

For nearly night, it threw him off that it was still fully daylight. The move from darkness below deck to the sun above almost made him sick. Zuko focused on closing the doorway and then walked about the deck, trying to find the other entrance.

Instead, he found Katara.

She sat on the edge of the deck, her legs dangling between the rails and her face pressed into the space of two bars. Zuko snorted in amusement and walked to her. As he neared, she popped her face out and looked at him, staying quiet while he sat next to her.

"Nervous?" He asked. Katara smiled and shook her head.

"I just can't be below. All of our boats are open and we can see, well, everything." She said.

"I'm not used to this much water." Zuko said, thinking back to how he felt when his journey first began. He had seen the ocean many times, from all of their visits to Ember Island. But he had never been on the water till the day he was exiled.

"My whole world has been water." Katara said, sounding wistful. Zuko watched her for a moment, wondering what she saw as she looked out over the open ocean. There was a coastline still, they wouldn't break away from it completely until they turned toward the old Air Nation lands. But the whole of the Sharptooth Sea was laid out on the other side, heading toward the gently curving horizon.

"Why are you leaving?" Zuko asked.

He knew why she had originally left, to help the Avatar master all four elements. But Aang wasn't here, and the Ice Raids had cut off all contact between the two tribes for decades.

"I'm going to find my father." Katara said.

Zuko startled and his spine straightened.

"Your father is in the North Pole?" He repeated. Katara scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Obviously he used to live in the South Pole, since my brother and I were born there." She replied. Zuko tried to hide his confusion, wondering what else Hakoda could have been doing if there wasn't an active war going on in the world.

Was there an active war?

"What is he doing in the North Pole?" Zuko asked.

"Looking for help. I don't know how big the villages are in your country, but my tribe has certainly had more people in it."

"I didn't realize." Zuko said, still thinking about the implications of war. Lu Ten had talked about global domination, so obviously there was no peace.

"My father wanted to get assistance, to rebuild or to go back North. My grandmother was born there, so we know that they know about us." Katara sighed and leaned her head against the bars of the rail. "But we haven't heard from him in months."

"Are you scared?"

"For him or of the travel? Doesn't matter," Katara said quickly. "both are terrifying."

She and Zuko laughed. He leaned back on his hands and looked up at the sky.

"It is terrifying to be so far from home." He remarked.

"What is your home like?" Katara asked. Zuko puffed out his cheeks and let out the burst of air.

"Different." He said and Katara laughed. When she didn't say anything else, Zuko sat back up and wrapped his hands around the railing bars.

"The palace is, a lot. I don't like it very much to be honest. But I always loved the gardens. My mother, she, well, she took me there a lot. To feed the turtleducks." Zuko said and smiled sadly at the memory. "I miss her."

"I miss my mother too." Katara said wistfully. Zuko was quiet but put a hand out on the deck between them.

"Kya was an amazing woman, who did the best she could for her family." He said. When he saw Katara stiffen, he took back his hand, gripping the rails. After the Southern Raiders, they had never discussed her mother. They hadn't really discussed much on that level ever again and now Zuko wondered if he had transgressed.

"How," Katara's voice was suddenly raspy and distant. "How did you know her name?"


	11. Chapter 11

Katara immediately began to scramble backward on her hands, and Zuko lurched toward her.

"I'm sorry!" He said, not knowing what else to say.

"Have you been spying on me? On my village?" Katara demanded, sounding almost hysterical. Zuko got to his feet before she did, and was able to lunge for her arm.

"No! Wait! Please." He pleaded just as Katara wrenched her arm away.

"You're going to take me back to the Fire Nation and kill me." She stated and Zuko flinched.

"No, Katara, it's nothing like that." Zuko said as Katara continued to speak.

"Sokka was right. Oh spirits, we're going to be executed." She backed slowly away from him but her eyes darted around.

"I'm from the future." Zuko blurted. Katara stopped and looked at him. They both froze and Zuko slapped both hands over his mouth. He didn't breathe, only watched her.

"What." She said finally, quietly. Zuko swallowed and then lowered his hands.

"Not just that, but this isn't my timeline. My life already went through this, but it was." He forcibly put his hands down by his sides. "Different."

Katara blinked rapidly and then shook her head.

"You're from the future?"

"Yes."

"But not this future?"

"No."

"And my mother-" Katara's throat closed and Zuko's shoulders slumped.

"Yes." He answered softly.

Katara turned back to the rail and grabbed hold of it. As if she were falling and needed to save herself.

"I'd ask you to prove it, but you knew my mother's name." She said. Zuko didn't say anything, but stood next to her and leaned against the railing.

"We ended this whole war already. We had moved on." He said and looked out across the water. For all of his paranoia, he felt relieved now.

"We won?" Katara asked.

"There was more of us. Toph and Suki and," Zuko paused and glanced over at Katara. She stared back at him, confused. "People we met." He looked away. "People we loved."

"How?"

Zuko looked back at Katara and was stunned by the steeled look in her eyes. He saw her face as it had been when she stopped the rain. It was this mix of determination and revenge, something altogether more human than Aang's mission to save the world. It was the exact same look, in the exact same face, and Zuko couldn't help himself from leaning toward her.

"It's too different. I don't think," Zuko shook his head and looked along the deck. A few guards were strolling past, hurrying away when Zuko noted them. He glared and let out a sigh.

"There was a different Fire Lord then. Battles fought here were yet to come for me at this time. I don't even know if the same ending is planned." He finished.

"But you came here to save us right?" Katara asked. A prickle fell down Zuko's spine and he shivered.

"I don't know why I'm here. Or even how this has come to be." He rubbed the back of his neck while he thought.

"Tell me one thing. One thing that you would only know if we were friends." Katara said. Zuko closed his eyes as his memory plucked up an instance, one that filled him with shame and regret.

"Your mother's necklace, that you always wear." He said and opened his eyes, looking right at her throat. "You lost her in a Fire Nation raid when they were looking for you. If you lost the necklace, it would hurt you immensely."

He glanced up at her eyes and looked away when he saw the pain there.

"I stole it from you." He blurted and felt Katara recoil.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I don't want you to think I was some." He stopped, his mind sputtered, and he twisted his hands through the air as he thought. "I changed."

Katara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing her eyes as she did.

"Okay." She said, her eyes still closed. Then again as she looked back at him. "Okay."

Zuko shifted uneasily on his feet as Katara examined him.

"We need to get Sokka on board." She said. Zuko nodded, a little too enthusiastically.

"I think I have an idea." He said.


	12. Chapter 12

Zuko made a quick trip through the small mess hall. There were a handful of soldiers, either coming off of a shift or about to begin. As they noticed Zuko, they all stood and saluted him, only taking their seats after he waved at them. The group went back to talking, but seemed subdued. None of the people on this crew had been with him last time.

And there was a different feel. There was still the familiar deference, but none of the personal offence. The soldiers treated him as a prince and expected nothing from him. Zuko could come and go as he pleased, and was not begrudged his space or temperament.

Allegedly, his temperament had changed. From his own perspective, he knew he was more at peace than he had been last year, but in this timeline, he was changed from the person he had been from last week.

His cousin had attributed it to nothing more than time and distance away from the palace. Zuko hoped that cover would not wear thin too soon.

As if pushing himself, Zuko went to the small galley and startled their cook.

"Your Highness." The woman sputtered. "I could have sent along your meal, sir."

"Oh, uhm." Zuko blinked in confusion and felt heat brush across his face. "I was already walking around."

The woman laughed and Zuko felt more at ease.

"I wish we had stayed on land for a bit longer myself." She replied. "What would you like for supper, sir?"

"Just bread, please." He said and the woman coughed out a startled laugh.

"Please? Well goodness me, those tribals must have scared some manners into you." She replied and then turned away. While she moved, she repeated his "please" with a dry a few more times. Zuko wince and resisted the urge to rub his face.

He had to get away from all of these people who knew this Zuko. Subterfuge just wasn't his strong suit.

When the cook returned, she held out a large biscuit that Zuko took gingerly with both hands. He recognized it as the handheld meat pie many soldiers ate when pulling longer shifts. Thanking the woman, Zuko kept his head down as he walked out of the mess.

The fore of the ship held the mess and the hammocks where the soldiers slept. In the aft was the royal quarters. Sokka and Katara had been put in the fore, but as Zuko dipped into the sleeping area, he didn't see Sokka.

Carefully putting the pie in his pocket, Zuko climbed back onto the deck. Now he started to stroll, taking small bites of the steaming food that warmed his hands but burned his tongue. Katara, too, had disappeared.

At the center of the ship was the brig and cargo hold, only accessible with a winch. Perhaps they had decided to hide in there with the livestock.

Continuing on, Zuko had to eat carefully or else risk spilling the meat filling down his front. The last thing he needed was to ask his cousin for a favor while looking like a filthy child. This was how he ended up dropping the last large bite into his mouth as if he were a dragonkoi fish. Staring down at the next hatch, he wiped his hands on the back of his pants.

He knew a lot about Sokka. And the thing Sokka cared about the most in the world, was Suki. If Zuko could convince Lu Ten to stop in Kyoshi then he could introduce Sokka to her and win him to his side. Getting Lu Ten to agree might take some doing.

Zuko pulled open the hatch as he chewed and started his descent.

He could do what Uncle had done to him. Claim a desperate need to stop and see something, or replace something. An irritating distraction that could be planned for some other purpose.

Zuko paused partway down the ladder and squinted as he thought.

_That wily bastard did all that on purpose._

Shaking his head, Zuko climbed down and walked quietly down the hall. The back part of the ship was far from quiet however; the massive network of steam pipes rushed and rattled all around him. Looking down at his feet, Zuko wondered if the massive engine was just below him. The thought made him step lightly.

Below deck was dark, and the thin red light of the sconces did little to aid his sight. So the light pouring from an open door was like a beacon and Zuko made a line for it.

Hearing voices, Zuko hesitated as he got closer. He did not want to interrupt something important and risk annoying Lu Ten.

"The wedding will go just fine." Lu Ten said, sounding as if he were trying to console someone. "And Zuko won't have any problems as long as his mother is there."

Zuko's heart stopped and his fingers immediately went cold.

"Can we even trust the witch?" A man's voice asked. Now Zuko burned, but Lu Ten spoke up quickly.

"You will not speak of my aunt in such a manner. She has done my father, and the throne, a great service." Lu Ten paused and shuffled some papers. "And I certainly don't want her on my bad side."

"I just don't think you're wise to trust her." A woman's voice now, sounding just as rough and miserly as the man's.

"My father trusts her and that's all that matters." Lu Ten replied sharply, ending their protests. "When will we reach the island?"

"In a day or so, Highness." The man said.

"Excellent. I'll need a landing team and a guard on the two tribals. We don't need them wandering off." Lu Ten said.

Feeling his heart hammering in his chest, Zuko squeezed his eyes closed.

_My mother is alive._

He would see her again, and the painful yearning he felt to go to her had to be shoved aside. There would be time for that, and besides, this Zuko had grown up with her. It would not do to seem like he had mourned her.

After taking a few breaths to collect himself, Zuko stood up straight and knocked on the partially open door before moving around it. Four figures were in the room, with Lu Ten at a desk with an older man and woman. A younger person, more of Lu Ten's age, lounged in a chair with their legs thrown over one of the arms.

"Cousin!" Lu Ten greeted, discreetly straightening a group of papers. "Come to visit?"

Zuko glanced at each of the others, briefly meeting their eyes. Except of the figure in the chair who was cleaning their nails with a thin file.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could ask a favor." Zuko began.

"Of course. What's on your mind?" Lu Ten inquired.

"Can we make a stop? On our way to the North Pole?"

"I assume you mean outside of the ones already planned?"

The man chuckled and Zuko cleared his throat, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"That was what I was hoping for yes." He said.

"Where would you like to go?" Lu Ten asked.

"Kyoshi."

Lu Ten blinked at him and the man laughed again.

"Kyoshi?" Lu Ten repeated.

"Yes. As a, cultural sort of trip. Historical." Zuko added, fumbling over his thoughts.

"Zuko, there's nothing there." Lu Ten said.

"Well not," Zuko frowned as he thought. The village hadn't been much, certainly nothing compared to the temple the Fire Nation had kept in Roku's honor. But it wasn't nothing.

"Kyoshi was one of the first towns we razed." The woman snapped. "Don't those pampered tutors teach you anything of the war?"

"I forgot." Zuko said. He felt numb and couldn't focus on the room. Seeing the look on his face, Lu Ten came around from behind the desk and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It is still an important place. If you want to see ruins, dear Cousin, I will take you there." He said softly.

"And add two unnecessary days to our journey." The older man added gruffly. Lu Ten shot him a look over his shoulder and then turned back to Zuko.

"We'll be stopping in the colonies soon enough. I'm sure we can get some Earth Kingdom flavor there." Lu Ten said.

"Sure. Of course." Zuko shook himself and then smiled at Lu Ten. "Thank you."

"Any time. Now why don't you find something to eat? I need to go over some trip details with this lot." Lu Ten said. Zuko nodded and let himself be led out of the room by Lu Ten's hand. As he stepped into the hall, Lu Ten shut the door, slowly choking off the light.

"Now," Lu Ten said, speaking to his companions again. "What was the news from Zhao?"

The door shut, and Zuko stood in red stained darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

The next day, Zuko tried to avoid as many people as possible. Dodging Katara and Sokka was almost too easy, as an impromptu guard had been set on the pair in anticipation of the next landing. Katara, every time they made eye contact, shot him a questioning look, but Zuko just turned his head as he continued past her.

Lu Ten was also easy to avoid, as there was certainly another mission to this transport quest they had been set on. His cousin was often in animated conversation with the mysterious third figure from the night before, who would smile at Zuko as they crossed paths.

Zuko tried to get his facts straight.

His mother was alive, but had done something that made her untrustworthy to parts of the guard. In his time, his father had made allusions to some traitorous plot Ursa had enacted, one large enough to warrant the awful end that she met. But nothing had ever been spoken plainly, and Zuko wasn't even certain if it was the same event being played out.

As for the wedding, Zuko was far from concerned. He remembered the nights when Sokka and Aang would talk about the North Pole, as they shifted the emotional strain from the horrific events to how Zuko had gotten beaten by Katara in a fight. Princess Yue had been betrothed, and a political wedding was certainly a place for diplomatic pandering. Still, he wondered why Lu Ten had talked about his safety, and why it was important that his mother would be there.

Whenever his thoughts drifted to his mother, about seeing her again, he felt an ache in his chest. He had missed her and had been desperate to know what had happened to her. In a matter of weeks, he would see her again.

But she would not be his mother.

This was not his world.

Setting his shoulders, Zuko resigned himself to one plan. He needed more information, that much was clear. All of the machinations already in motion would be meaningless to him if he didn't know who he was supposed to be or what had been happening.

After training with Piandao as a child, and from his own love of the theater, Zuko had mastered the art of stealth fairly early on. It was a benefit when he was trying to sneak around his father's notice, or away from his sister and her friends. Spying wasn't in his nature, but reconnaissance was important. Idle conversation could more often than not lead to promising finds.

Returning to his room, Zuko thought of a plan as he dressed in something more subdued and easier to move in than his royal garb. It was difficult, as most of it was either for hard travel or official meetings. Reaching toward the bottom of his trunk, he finally managed to pull out a training uniform; sleeveless but the pants were black and more fitted.

The fearful excitement gave him a jolt of adrenaline and as Zuko moved out into the hall, he jumped against the far wall to twist and grab an overhead pipe.

As his back refused to twist enough, his fingers missed the pipe by a foot and he slammed onto the hard metal floor.

The rush of blood in his ears was so loud, he could hear nothing else. The fall had hurt, and he had surely bruised his side, but that wasn't what knocked the breath out of him.

This was not his body.


	14. Chapter 14

Zuko hid in his room for the rest of the day. He skipped the midday meal and tea, and was far too anxious sounding when Lu Ten came to his door to check on him. But he couldn't face anyone.

Everything had been just too similar and just different enough for him to slide into some mental pocket. He wasn't normally prone to looking at his reflection, and so even the obvious difference of his face wasn't present enough to have forced him to realize what had happened.

He wasn't on some odd trip with Fire Nation friends he couldn't remember. He was in a different world, one to which he did not belong. Because this was not his body.

Growing up in the palace had been so lonely. As a small child, when his Lu Ten really was alive, Iroh would always bring a light into their family. When they would go to Ember Island, Ozai would accompany them, interact with them, and everything just seemed better. Zuko could remember the rare moments - ones he hungered for constantly as a child but now reflected back on as odd and contradicting - when Ozai would touch Ursa gently, with something close to affection. And Ursa, if not necessarily enjoying it, did not seem repulsed.

After Lu Ten and Azulon died, everything changed. Iroh was more private, less doting, though he still had regular tea with Ursa.

Zuko's life became quieter, darker, and more lonely. He had studied lamely in his Firebending, avoided his sister and father, and trained with Piandao. It wasn't until he attempted to mix his sword fighting with theatre that Zuko felt like a whole person.

The stage workers - the people in black suits that moved props during a performance - had to move quickly, silently, and with precise dexterity. It was the perfect blend of avoidance and strength- exactly what he needed in the palace.

When forced to play with Azula and her friends, he instigated competitions with Ty Lee. Azula would sabotage him and laugh, but he learned. Being around Mai was both a perk, and another excuse to watch Ty Lee.

Then Zuko practiced. He would rush from Firebending training and pick up his training sword, finding an empty garden to practice in. He wanted to be able to flip with no hands, so he could maintain his grip on the sword. He wanted to be able to propel himself over obstacles so he could keep his hands as free as possible. He wanted to be able to climb, run, and stand silently, so no one could catch him.

When his mother disappeared, it became almost easier to practice because less of the ones who wanted to hurt him were looking for him. Unfortunately, that meant most of his avoidance practice was on Iroh's attempts to reach out.

His ability to be the Blue Spirit became the only good part of his life. It was his mother, his father, and the only equalizer he had with Azula. But he kept it safe and private.

And now it was gone. Everything he had worked for and earned was gone.

His Uncle would not be the same. His mother would not be the same. Once again, he was surrounded by people he could not trust but now he was ignorant, weak, and confused. He didn't even have his own body.

What was worse, what made this whole situation that more dangerous, was the fact that now, unlike in his childhood, Zuko was desperate for the love and acceptance he had gotten from his friends and family. The love he deserved.

The love that did not exist here.


	15. Chapter 15

That night, he couldn't sleep.

Sleepless nights were not new to him. The habit had started after his mother had left. She had woken him and said goodbye, but the memory was foggy and distant from his need to sleep. When he finally got up in the morning, it had felt like a dream. It still did.

He didn't want to miss anything like that again.

From what he remembered of the ship's schedule, he guessed it was about the hour of night when the third shift was firmly in their place. Zuko had been given a skeleton crew in the first place, and many of those men had reasons for being assigned to the exiled prince's ship. He could walk about the deck hours before dawn and not see a single soul.

From his first day on this ship, on Lu Ten's ship, he knew that was not the case here. Still, he had spent hours in his room and needed to eat, or at least breathe fresh air. He still remembered the important lessons of his youth; the best places to hide, what to listen for when approaching a blind spot, numerous little lessons that he carried in his mind if not his body.

There were more soldiers about, and being more active. Zuko tried to move unseen, but in places where it would have been impossible, he walked with purpose. The guards he ran into were certainly surprised to see him but only greeted him as Zuko walked past.

As they moved north, the sun started to behave normally. The sun had set but was rethinking that choice and the horizon was still illuminated. Zuko turned away from it and headed toward the middle of the ship.

Bolted down next to the cargo hold was a metal base. It could fit either a catapult or a crane, but currently still had the crane attached. Traveling in open water with it wasn't a good idea when a surprise storm could snap the metal beams in half. This meant they were making a short trip and stopping somewhere that required further use of the crane.

Zuko wanted to get up and away, and knew about the various small platforms that hid in corners of the frame. Checking around him, Zuko grabbed onto the bars and lifted himself up slowly. This body was not as practiced, but still strong. The other Zuko had obviously still trained in some manner, though he wasn't as strong in his legs.

"This isn't my home, these aren't my friends," Zuko muttered to himself. "If I'm not careful, I'm going to get myself killed."

"Then don't climb things in the dark, idiot."

Zuko's hands almost released him, but he scrambled forward and wrapped himself around the bars. The eerie twilight gave him just enough light to see Katara's face peeking at him from the shadows.

"You probably shouldn't surprise people climbing things in the dark." Zuko snapped and Katara laughed. She held out a hand and Zuko took it, letting her help him into the frame and onto the platform.

"You've been avoiding me." She said as soon as he sat down.

"Sorry."

"Did you find out about the thing for Sokka?"

Zuko jerked his head up and then winced.

"I did. It won't work. Not here." Zuko paused and looked out over the deck. "I don't think it would have been the same anyway."

He could feel Katara staring at him, and he made sure not to turn his face. After a moment of silence, Katara came over and sat next to him. They both had their legs over the edge of the platform and Katara began to swing her feet back and forth.

"What am I like? In your time?" She asked.

Zuko tilted his head back, his eyes wide, and blew out a heavy breath.

"Well, you hated me for a long time. Then we," Zuko stopped himself and looked at her. She looked exactly like Katara. But her kindness felt different, her speech more blindly optimistic. His Katara, the one he knew, was fierce and confident, who's kindness came from her refusal to let evil exist in places she could impact.

Maybe that was how she had begun even in his time. It would explain why she had been so willing to help him in the crystal caverns.

"Do you miss them?" Katara asked.

Zuko lowered his head and nodded.

"You and Sokka, and everyone else; you all were the only friends I have ever had. We all helped each other, we all saved the world, but you." He stopped and gripped the front of his shirt. "You saved my life."

"Then why did you leave?"

Stunned, Zuko backed away from her. "What?"

"Why did you come here if you were happy?"

"I didn't, Katara, I didn't choose this."

Katara's face knotted in confusion.

"Then why are you here?"

"I don't know!"

"How did you get here?"

"I don't know!"

Katara, visibly starting to panic, put her hands into her hair.

"Well, what are you doing then?"

"I have no idea!"

"Hey! Get away from my sister!"


	16. Chapter 16

Katara covered her face and let out a long groan as Sokka scrambled up the crane. Zuko started to push himself backward, but Sokka clambered over him to sit between the pair. Katara shrugged while Sokka glowered.

"Didn't have enough to invade that you had to come to a whole new world?" Sokka demanded.

At first surprised, Zuko started to laugh.

"The first time we met, in my world, you threw a boomerang at me," Zuko said. Sokka blinked, his face blank. Zuko continued. "And yeah, I had been invading at the time so I think I deserved it."

Sokka's face soured and he turned to Katara. "And he said we were friends?"

"Hush." Katara said sharply and Sokka rolled his eyes.

"As I just told your sister, I don't know why I'm here. Or even how I got here." Zuko, growing more uncomfortable as these replica eyes stared at him, turned to look down at the ship deck below. "I can't even tell if it's worse or better than what I went through."

Soldiers walked their circuits around the deck and Zuko followed the points of their helmets. He hadn't noticed before the multitude of tiny differences between his world and this one.

Idly, he touched his abdomen again.

"What do you know about this world?" Katara asked, rousing him from his wandering thoughts. Zuko patted his missing scar and faced the other two again.

"Not much. My dead cousin is alive, my missing mother is not missing, and my uncle is the Fire Lord instead of my father. I have no idea if their plan to use Sozin's Comet to obliterate the Earth Kingdom is still relevant, and I don't even know if-"

Zuko stopped as he looked past Katara's head. In the near dark, he could still make out the distant island. He knew where they were headed.

The crumbling structure of the temple rose out of a thick bank of sea fog. It skewered him, and Zuko felt himself reel as he looked at it.

Had he left Aang in the South Pole?

If he had the forethought, perhaps he could have run from the ship when he landed. He could have tried to convince Sokka and Katara, or else picked through the ocean on his own. Another thought came unbidden from somewhere in the depths of his mind.

Aang might not even be out there.

One good reason to call off the siege of Ba Sing Se, and to end the Ice Raids, would be if they had found the Avatar, perfectly preserved in an iceberg.

Zuko felt sick, and suddenly hands were on his shirt, yanking him back.

"What are you doing?" Sokka hissed. "You could die if you fell from this height!"

Shaking his head, Zuko grabbed onto Sokka's wrists, tightening his grip as the other boy struggled.

"Sokka. We have to find the Avatar." Zuko stated with desperate command. "Have you seen any weird icebergs?"

Sokka went from looking frightened to looking angry.

"The Avatar? Icebergs? What are you talking about?" Sokka shoved Zuko off of him and turned to Katara. "I think Spice Prince has a touch of midnight sun madness."

Katara gave him a disagreeable face and then shoved him further back on the platform. Leaning forward, she met Zuko's gaze.

"Our Gran-Gran is from the North Pole and she had grown up hearing about how the Avatar had trained there. He left fifteen years before she was born, but she heard more stories when she was traveling through the Earth Kingdom to the South Pole." Katara explained.

"Aang had been training?" Zuko repeated, his face twisted as he tried to understand. "Then where is he?"

"No one knows," Sokka interjected as he sat back up, pushing Katara back to her corner. "By the time Gran-Gran heard the stories, they were decades old. The Avatar just, disappeared."

Zuko shook his head and slumped over, bracing himself by holding onto the metal frame. Aang had lived, which meant he could also be dead.

"If he's dead, then the next Avatar would be a Waterbender." Zuko said, his voice flat and lifeless.

"Well, it's not me!" Katara replied quickly. Zuko shook his head, but didn't look at her.

"Depending on whether Aang's disappearance was fatal or not, the Avatar would be an adult no older than your grandmother." He said.

"So what?" Sokka asked. "No one seems interested in the Avatar anymore. The Ice Raids are over and your cousin made it seem like they were a bad idea in the first place."

"Then why are we using a warship to take a Waterbender to the North Pole?" Zuko asked.

Sokka's mouth opened, but he said nothing. Katara reached out and grabbed onto the back of her brother's shirt.

"You're bait." Zuko added and looked over at them. "Something bad is going to happen in the North Pole."


	17. Chapter 17

The next day, Zuko was already at the railing when he saw the temple rise out of the sea fog. The sun worked normally here and was heading toward its zenith, so the light was clear and made the sky a softer blue. The fog was all that was left of the smaller icebergs that had been pushed this far north, and it still smelled clean and cold.

As they had always looked, the crumbling spires of the Southern Air Temple resembled bones, but of a body that had been neglected and improperly buried. The towers were arthritic, the cliffs were eroding, and the overgrown grass clung to it all like petrified burial cloth.

It had never felt sad to Zuko, because it had aged into something else. It wasn't rotten, but dry. Time had stripped away the deaths and atrocities, and left only the frame of things. He could drape any sort of story over it, or examine it for what it was.

Maybe this is why the Fire Nation cremated their dead, to leave nothing up to the world's interpretation.

"You're looking melancholy my prince." The unknown figure approached and Zuko leaned away from them. By keeping his mouth shut and moving around the ship in ways he assumed Azula would, Zuko had picked up useful information. This person was Zuriko, an infamous daughter of a prominent noble family. Their infamy had begun as a child when they were sent to the Girl's Academy, despite that they had insisted they had no gender.

The scandal had ripped through the court and there was talk of Zuriko being disowned and exiled, which would have resulted in their death through any number of means, when Iroh had made a stop at the family's home.

Whatever was said, or implied, or threatened, ultimately Zuriko had been moved to one of the other buildings the palace held and started going by Zuri.

Which meant they had been around as Zuko as he had grown up. They made Zuko wary, even though they had never given any indication so far that they were suspicious.

"I don't know why I'm here." Zuko said. It was easier to be honest, but to word things in a way with multiple meanings. Depending on how most people reacted, he could learn more than from their actual response.

"You were begging to leave the palace, if you remember." Zuri said and jostled him with their shoulder. "But you will be helpful in the North Pole. People like you."

"No they don't." Zuko replied automatically and jumped as Zuri laughed.

"When you relax they do." They said and then paused. The two of them peered at the Air Temple in silence. Zuko wondered if it would look the same from when he had stopped here in his time.

"Zuko, what happened with your father, it wasn't your fault. I know he is trying to make you feel like it is, but that's only because what's happening is too big for you to understand." Zuri said with what seemed like genuine softness.

"So what part do I play in all of this?" Zuko asked, trying to resist the urge to follow the new path Zuri had opened.

Zuri shrugged and leaned more heavily against the railing.

"We have what Lu Ten assigns us. What he tells us about that part may be incomplete, or totally wrong, but we all have choices to make, right?" They said.

"How long will I have to stay in the North Pole?" Zuko asked. Zuri smiled.

"Not long, if everything goes the way we need it to. And then lots of things will begin to happen very quickly. And don't worry," They turned met Zuko's gaze. "Nothing will happen to the Waterbender."

Zuko felt his face flush and he stepped away from them.

"What do you mean?" He asked sharply.

"You've been trailing after the two Tribals since they boarded. Neither of them will be harmed, if it's the brother you're more concerned about."

"I." Zuko's throat tightened as his face warmed even more.

"Just remember where your loyalties lie!" Zuri said lightly, teasing him. They patted him hard on the shoulder and walked off, leaving Zuko reeling.

He had found out from other talk, a lot of it coming from Lu Ten's lieutenants Gorou and Sang, that things were far worse than he had expected.

His father was in unofficial exile in the Earth Kingdom. Ozai had accused Ursa of poisoning Azulon, causing his death after the former Fire Lord had seemed to be recovering from pneumonia. Whatever support he had been expecting had not materialized and he had been sent away to the interior to oversee a work camp.

Ursa was alive, and had taken on many duties of the Fire Lady since Iroh had ascended the throne as a widower.

Azula lived in Omashu as a guest of Mai's family, the governors of the city kingdom.

Ba Sing Se, having survived the same siege Zuko had known, had sealed itself up. Nothing moved in or out, and the refugees fleeing from the Fire Nation's expansion scrambled over the massive kingdom.

The Fire Nation was firmly entrenched in a long, continuous war. Small battles were fought en route to the larger city kingdoms, till those were finally sacked. It was taking years, but the Fire Nation didn't care; more land taken in the Earth Kingdom gave them more food and resources. The war was not a strain as long as they were winning.

Zuko had tried to figure out what event had altered this timeline so much.

Lu Ten had not died at Ba Sing Se, because Zuri had defended him from a Spirit attack. But Zuko had never heard of a Zuriko in his timeline, and wondered if they had even been born.

Aang had not run from the Air Temple, and had gone on to take up his Avatar training, yet still disappeared.

His mother had clearly murdered Azulon either at Iroh's request or with his promise of protection.

It made him sick, and forced him to think about what would happen if the people around him realized he had been changed. That there was now a potential for disloyalty.

It made him think, for the hundredth time, if he should find a way to run with Katara and Sokka once they landed at the Air Temple.


	18. Chapter 18

Once they made landfall, the entire ship disgorged itself from the metal belly. A camp was set up while Lu Ten tried to coerce Zuri into wandering the ruins. They smiled and glanced back, meeting Zuko's eye.

"You, my prince, have work to do. But perhaps the younger legs could use some stretching." They said.

Lu Ten paused and turned, blinking as he registered seeing Zuko there.

The last time Zuko had seen his Lu Ten, he had been a child. At certain moments, where this Lu Ten looked so cleanly back at him, Zuko felt like he was a child again. He felt small under his cousin's gaze, and insubstantial.

What would happen to him if Lu Ten found out?

"Did you want to go Zuko? Seeing as how you've finally stopped puking at every port, you might be up to it." Lu Ten asked. Zuko felt his face warm and he clenched his hands into fists.

He had gotten sea sick in the beginning in his timeline as well.

"I can handle it." Zuko stated.

Lu Ten nodded and turned back to Zuri. "You'll go with him? He is second in line after all and you have a knack for saving princes."

Zuri made a noise and slapped Lu Ten's arm.

"I will. And I'll take the little tribals along." They added. Lu Ten's face changed and Zuko stilled.

The Fire Nation had lived through generations of war. Zuko had grown up on stories on his family's prowess in battle and imagined a burning brightness tearing through enemy lines. Something different to the cold burn that made sharp slivers of Azulon and Ozai.

Lu Ten looked like a sword blade pulled straight out of the coals.

"It's not appropriate for a Fire Nation prince to associate with peasants." Lu Ten stated.

"It's also not appropriate for a Fire Nation prince to go ignorantly into a foreign kingdom." Zuri countered. "The tribals can teach him a few things. And they're kids, let them have some fun."

"When I was his age, I was a soldier." Lu Ten muttered, sounding more like a petulant child. Zuri shoved him.

"You were an officer because your daddy was the crown prince." They corrected.

Lu Ten made a show of sighing and throwing his hands into the air.

"Fine. But make sure none of them fall off the island." He said and walked away.

Zuko and Zuri watched as Lu Ten strolled over to a group of officers. It was bizarre to see how Lu Ten flickered between calculated seriousness and congenial nonchalance. From experience, Zuko knew that most people would assume the Crown Prince was unrestrained. To him it was more like keeping a firm hand on the fuel gauge.

Zuri patted Zuko's shoulder.

"Let's go collect the tribals." They said.

Katara and Sokka had been penned off by armed guards while other soldiers put up a tent. All parties looked displeased.

"Your highness." One guard said and the entire group straightened to salute. Zuko awkwardly held up a hand.

"The prince is going to walk the ruins and has invited our guests." Zuri said.

The soldiers tensed but Katara grinned. Knowing them, or at least versions of them, they had probably tried to wander off as soon as they landed.

"The Crown Prince promised his guests an enjoyable trip." Zuri added, firmly reminding all of them og the boundaries in place. "And he wishes that Prince Zuko become more familiar with the Water Tribe's culture."

Zuko had forgotten how his royal voice had been protected when he was younger. None of the family was permitted to speak freely with others and every time his father spoke, his words were treated like a commandment from the heavens. Iroh had not been that way, and this Lu Ten had clearly cultivated the same familiar manner, but both had spent most of their time in the army.

For himself, Zuko had fallen out of practice during his exile and his throat tightened around his own words.

"Why thank you." Sokka said, stressing his words and looking indignantly at the guards. "I tried to stretch my legs earlier but apparently these matchsticks thought I was stretching them too far."

Katara nodded solemnly and Zuko fought down a smile.

"The ruins are a dangerous place. But I will be caring for your safety." Zuri replied.

Their words were calm and almost friendly, but Zuko did not feel comforted.


	19. Chapter 19

The ruins looked exactly the same. Zuko stared up at the tall wooden posts, wondering again what they were for. Sokka and Katara, choosing to ignore their situation, chattered about them. Zuko was positive both of them knew what it was for, back in his timeline.

For how different everything was, ultimately it was the similarity that hurt him the most. He wanted everyone to be different, so he could begin to distance himself. Lu Ten was alive, and it was beginning to sound like his uncle was not a good man. It would make it easier, then, for him to do what he needed to leave.

But Sokka and Katara were too similar to his friends. Katara's laugh made his blood freeze, as he kept waiting for her to bring him into the joke. When they were close by, Zuko had to stop himself from touching Sokka's shoulder.

As the two walked away from the giant posts, Katara glanced over at him and smiled. Zuko swallowed, hard, and followed them.

"How far do you think she'll let us wander?" Sokka asked.

"They. And I don't know." Zuko glanced over his shoulder to see Zuri walking a few feet behind them. They didn't make an attempt to seem anything less than watchful, so they smiled before Zuko turned back.

"Why are they keeping us so guarded?" Katara asked.

"I don't know that either." Zuko replied.

"Well what do you know?" Sokka questioned.

"Nothing we can discuss now." Zuko answered.

They walked around the grounds while Katara marveled aloud over the grass and briar shrubs. Startling a flock of llama goats, the three of them ran off in the opposite direction. Zuri managed to follow them, but now seemed more concerned with the wildlife.

Sokka was the one who pulled them into the temple itself. They moved down corridors leisurely, listening to how Zuri's footsteps became softer. There were fewer places to go, and fewer in which to hide. Doors had been broken away and were half rotten. Debris and dust gathered in corners, and everything was dry.

"Look, I think this was a library." Katara called and stepped through a shattered door. Sokka followed after but Zuko paused to look down the hall. Zuri wasn't there, but he doubted they were far behind.

Stepping into the room, he saw the familiar destruction.

Fire Nation soldiers, after slaughtering the monks, and turned over every inch of every temple trying to find a sign of the Avatar. Books were tossed on the floor by a maelstrom of hands, and had been bleached by sunlight and a century worth of careful page turns with airy fingers.

Some were stacked on the table in front of Katara and Zuko watched her flip through the pages. Dust and insects, disturbed from their peace, flew into the air.

"Do you think they moved all these books between the temples?" Katara asked, still looking at the weathered pages.

"I doubt it. More likely they had four copies." Sokka replied, nudging a pile of books on the floor with his foot. Katara snapped the book shut.

"That's a lot of books." She stated.

"That's a lot of wasted fire fuel." Sokka countered and walked over to an empty bookcase.

Katara wrinkled her nose and put the book down.

"Do you like to read?" Zuko asked, stepping up to her side. Katara shrugged and picked up the next book in her stack.

"I think I would, if we had more books. The only time we ever got to even see one was when a trader came through. And even then, we had to have something to trade to read it." She replied.

"Remember that guy who brought the book Gran-gran thought was an atlas and turned out to be filled with dirty pictures?" Sokka snorted and walked to them.

"She almost killed him when she found us reading it." Katara replied.

"I traded a perfectly good spearhead for smut." Sokka sighed, then grinned. "The men didn't seem to mind taking it from us though."

"And you got your spearhead back." Katara added. She flipped through the pages of the new book, but this time one came loose. Zuko bent down and picked it up.

The writing on it was clear and familiar.

"What is it?" Sokka asked.

"I think…" Zuko started, but couldn't finish. Katara set down the book while Sokka snatched the page from Zuko's paralyzed fingers.

"It's a poem. 'I came to reminisce and only found bones. I know now that I am truly alone. My sadness is a still wind in my heart. I must find a good land to rest.'" Sokka read aloud. He looked up, critical. "What is that about?"

"That's Aang's handwriting." Zuko croaked. Katara and Sokka still looked confused.

"Aang is the Avatar." He explained. Sokka and Katara paled, and Sokka folded up the page.

"So he came back here." Katara said.

"And if he did, he still might have ended up in the same place as last time." Zuko replied. The idea of Aang being an iceberg, and with no way to rescue him, made Zuko's stomach twist.

"Not necessarily." Sokka said. He opened his hand and Katara gave him the book.

"He made it all the way here, got to this book, and wrote the note. Look," Sokka flipped the book over to its cover. "This is about the Earth Kingdom."

"So he was trying to find an Earthbender, to teach him." Katara said.

"He might be there, in Ba Sing Se." Sokka offered. Zuko frowned and took the book, staring at the cover.

"Who might be in Ba Sing Se?"

The three of them jumped and watched as Zuri ducked to get through the doorway.

"Now who might three children be looking for in the Earth Kingdom?" They went on, looking directly at each of them in turn.

Zuko swallowed, hard, and stepped forward. He would not be intimidated into betraying his friends. Not again.

"They're looking for their father. They haven't seen him in months." Zuko stated.

Zuri raised an eyebrow.

"A Water Tribal in the Earth Kingdom? Why wouldn't he be in the North Pole?" They asked. They were testing him and Zuko felt his blood rush in his ears.

He tried to think of anything that might help, from his past or what he learned of this world.

Then something clicked.

"Because of the pirates." He replied. Now Zuri looked stunned and Zuko relaxed a little.

"If pirates had taken them on their way north, they might be in the Earth Kingdom." He explained. Zuri regarded him, silently, and Zuko felt sweat begin to form under his arms.

"I am glad to see you being so altruistic my prince. And I know your cousin will be equally gladdened to hear of this, sudden change." Zuri said. Then they held out their hand. "I will keep this inspirational book for you."

Sokka looked over at Zuko, then gave the book over.

Zuri smiled. "Thank you. Now we should head back to camp. Lunch is almost ready."

Zuri turned and walked out through the door. Zuko's head swam in the dry air but he steadied when Sokka patted his shoulder.

"That was exceptionally creepy." He said. Zuko heaved out a heavy breath.

"At least that hasn't changed." He replied and shrugged off Sokka's hand. "Everyone in the Fire Nation is out to get me."


	20. Chapter 20

While the sun was still out, engineers scrambled over the ship to fix any minor problems. They would be heading to the outpost on White Tail Island for major repairs before entering open ocean on their way north. The events at the ruins and now knowing about their next stop, Zuko felt like he was about to snap.

Lu Ten surprised him in the late evening, throwing a sheathed sword onto his lap.

"Let's go. You're getting stiff." He said.

For the afternoon, Zuko practiced. Remembering his earlier acrobatic failure, he started off guarded. His muscles were not as slow to respond, however, and he pushed more on Lu Ten. With only one sword, he couldn't practice most of his sets, but this was enough. It was enough to know that he was still capable, and to know that his firebending was still lackluster enough to require it.

When they stopped to eat, Lu Ten tossed his arm over Zuko's shoulders and boasted loudly about his improvement. Despite himself, Zuko smiled and pushed gently away from Lu Ten. When they were children, Lu Ten had not been overly interested in Zuko. They played well, but the age difference kept them from being at the same physical stage; Zuko couldn't run as fast or jump as far, and Lu Ten would get bored of the restraint.

Now they were leveling out. Zuko was surprised to see that he was already as tall as his cousin. Lu Ten represented adulthood and the grand ideal of what Zuko was supposed to become. To find the differences lessening was odd.

"I'm glad grandfather convinced Piandao to return to the palace," Lu Ten said while they sat at a table. "He became a good friend to father and you seem to be doing much better."

Zuko hoped this meant the White Lotus was still intact, and perhaps his uncle wasn't still a true son of the Fire Nation.

"I wish my firebending had gotten better as well." Zuko said with a sigh. Lu Ten jostled him.

"Firebending can be overrated. If there's not a good mind behind it, it can be practically useless. Look at your sister." He replied.

Zuko grumbled but made no reply. The guards had escorted Sokka and Katara to the table, seating them opposite of Lu Ten and Zuko.

"Are you both Firebenders?" Katara asked. Her question came with some excitement, while Sokka looked angry.

"Most of the people on the crew are." Lu Ten answered politely.

"But not the trolls." Zuri added as they came over. They sat on the other side of Lu Ten, but leaned over to wave at Zuko. Unnerved, he slowly waved back.

"Who are the trolls?" Katara asked. She leaned away from the table while Sokka leaned forward.

"They mean my two lieutenants." Lu Ten replied.

"We're on a warship?" Sokka interjected.

"All Fire Nation ships are warships." Zuri answered. "But not all of us are soldiers. Like me and his royal highness down there."

Sokka and Katara both glanced at Zuko, how reddened and sank into his seat.

"Zuko isn't old enough. And you are a liability." Lu Ten retorted. Zuri laughed and tapped on the table.

"I wasn't a liability when I saved your hide from a spirit attack." They quipped.

"A spirit?" Katara jumped on the word. "You saw a spirit?"

"Absolutely. It had been stalking the troops at Ba Sing Se, taking faces. When it came for the prince, I was able to chase it off." Zuri said. They snapped, shooting up a tongue of flame.

"That's incredible." Katara said softly.

"You do remember these are the guys who killed mom right?" Sokka snapped. Katara winced and looked down at her lap.

"I don't recall killing any tribals." Zuri said leisurely. Sokka glared at her and Lu Ten held up his hands.

"Enough. We can all recognize and accept that the war has had a very real cost. While you may see us as the aggressors, I can guarantee you that we had no part in the Ice Raids. And my father did end them as soon as he became Fire Lord." Lu Ten said.

"But none of this would even be an issue if your people hadn't decided to take over the world." Sokka shot back.

"I won't debate philosophy with a child. But just know that the war is ending soon enough, and I will not be held accountable for the missteps of my forebears." Lu Ten's tone took on a dark tone. "Perhaps you'd be more comfortable eating in your tent this evening."

"I've lost my appetite." Sokka muttered and stood from the table. Katara followed quickly after, and Zuko watched painfully as Sokka swore at the guards who quickly flanked them.

"I will say," Zuri began. "The tribals are so cute when they're angry."

"You're awful." Lu Ten said, but looked calm as he waved over some of the crew. Food was served and Zuko looked down at the meal, feeling his own appetite vanish.

"They're a bad influence on Zuko." Zuri said and Zuko jumped. He could feel the familiar prickle on the back of his neck, knowing that a judgement was soon coming. Depending on how that judgement went, a punishment might follow.

He often had to navigate Ozai's judgments. He had more than not failed to do so adequately.

"He's just excited to interact with people his own age, I'm sure." Lu Ten dismissed their comment. Zuko focused more on his food, poking it around his plate.

"They're good people." He stated. He could feel Lu Ten looking at him, so he turned.

"I'm going to be spending a lot of time with them, so I might as well enjoy it." Zuko continued. Lu Ten looked surprised and then laughed, loud and quickly.

"I cannot understand how you've changed this much. It's like you're a different person!" He said. The prickle jammed into Zuko's neck now, but he smiled.

"It's been good to get away." He said.

During the night, he could still hear the sounds of repairs. It would be a long journey across the sea, with very few stops. They would attempt to hit some colonies on the way, but a good portion of the trip would be spent in open ocean. There would be nothing to see, not much to do, and food would have to be rationed.

It wasn't a trip he was looking forward to.

This next stop would be even more stressful for him personally. The last time he had been to the White Tail Outpost was with Katara, looking for the Southern Raiders. It was the moment they had actually bonded, when she had forgiven him.

When he had wondered.

Zuko put his hands over his face, feeling the heat form in his palms. Of all times, now was not an appropriate moment to think about that day. It was too complicated already; Zuri was definitely suspicious, while Lu Ten was either confident or pretending. The world was falling apart in ways Zuko had never before considered. Aang was out in the world, dead or alive but ultimately inaccessible. Suki might be dead, fallen with her town. His arms fell limp away from him. At least the heat had left him.


	21. Chapter 21

In the morning, Zuko went looking for Sokka and Katara. He dodged lumbering trunks held up on human legs and nearly ran into an engineer carrying a large toolbox. The activity was different and Zuko wondered if it had anything to do with the messenger hawk that arrived for Lu Ten at breakfast. His cousin had said nothing about it, only abruptly left the table, taking Zuri with him.

Sokka and Katara were not present during breakfast, which is why he was now wandering around the campsite.

When he made it to their tent, Zuko found it in the process of being broken down. Not wanting to interact with the crewmen, he turned and wove his way back through the moving parts. They must have boarded the ship already, which did not bode well.

Distracted, Zuko once again collided with another person. He staggered backward and shrank.

"Hello your Highness. Looking for the tribals?" Zuri asked. Zuko nodded while Zuri smiled.

"They've gone aboard so that they wouldn't get lost in all the commotion." They said. Zuko still stayed quiet and Zuri regarded him.

"Do you remember the spirit attack on your cousin?" They asked. Zuko met their gaze and nodded again.

"I remember hearing about it. Koh the Face Stealer right?" He replied.

"Koh's presence was always a point of concern for the Fire Lord. Where had the spirit come from? The Spirit World has been closed off to our world for millennia, and only the sagest of people can send their essence over." Zuri said idly.

"There are a few spirits who live in our world." Zuko said. Zuri's grin sent frozen fear down his spine.

He wasn't supposed to know that. Only two people out of everyone that Zuko had met outside of the North Pole knew about Tui and La; Iroh and Zhao.

"Stories, of course." Zuko added.

"Yes, stories." Zuri agreed. They turned, standing staggered with Zuko to look at the ship.

"Yet Koh lives in the Spirit World." Zuri argued. "So he made it across."

"Are you worried about spirits?" Zuko questioned.

"Always." Zuri said with a laugh. "After you come face to face with one, and it's literally attempting to take your face, you tend to become a bit concerned."

"But you won." Zuko pointed out.

"That I did. But I wonder, seeing as how there's a face stealer, if there isn't one that can create faces." They said.

"Your face is fine the way it is Zuri." Zuko replied.

The shock of his statement caused Zuri to laugh, more genuinely than he had seen before. Zuko was used to keeping his emotions hidden, and had managed to get his fear down to nervousness when speaking with others. With Zuri, he knew he had to do better. Courtly machinations weren't going to work on someone that had also grown up in it.

Sokka, however, was very good at disarming people.

"Zuko, I'm more worried about your face. You don't seem to wear it comfortably." Zuri said pointedly. Zuko's left eye twitched.

"Why do you think a spirit would have any interest in me?" Zuko questioned.

"I think the spirits are more interested in your uncle." Zuri admitted. "But I am here to protect the Fire Lord's interests."

"And I don't?"

"As long as you are truly yourself Zuko, I have nothing to worry about."

"Everyone changes Zuri. You of all people should understand that."

"Do you remember what your uncle sent you from Ba Sing Se?" Zuri asked suddenly.

"The knife?" Confused, Zuko pulled a face. "He sent it to me after he breached the Outer Ring."

Zuri looked almost as confused, but settled their face into something more neutral.

"Your cousin thinks I'm being paranoid." They said.

"I don't feel like myself," Zuko said hesitantly. "But I'm still me. This trip has just been very confusing."

"Things will get better. Lu Ten received a message from Admiral Zhao. He'll be meeting our ship at the outpost." Zuri said.

"What?" Zuko balked and Zuri clapped their hand on his back.

"I know, he's a miserable old man, but I have good news! I'll be escorting you and the tribals to the Junhae colony in an airship. Your mother is there getting the gifts ready and Lu Ten doesn't see any point in dragging a trio of antsy teenagers across the ocean." They explained.

"But you? I didn't think you left Lu Ten's side." Zuko blurted. Zuri just shrugged.

"It's become a military thing now. While I am the prince's otter viper, the gilded uniforms aren't a big fan of mine." They said. Pushing lightly on Zuko's back, they urged him forward.

"Now onto the ship. The sooner we're back in proper sunlight, the better we'll all feel."

It took two days to get to the outpost, and Zuko felt just as guarded as his friends. When he left his room, a soldier was waiting for him. When he went to bed, a guard followed him through the hall.

He took his meals with Lu Ten and Zuri, talking about casual things. Trying to glean what he could, Zuko was careful not to attract more attention from Zuri. Having them think he was a spirit in disguise was exactly what he was hoping to avoid.

After breakfast, Zuri took him topside and practiced firebending. They were highly skilled, and Zuko focused on mirroring their steps. In this, he found more of a mental block than a lack of physical skill. Whatever physical training this version of himself had neglected had been replaced by firebending drills.

It was disappointing to see how improved he was.

"Your form is sloppy." Zuri said part way through their first session. Zuko frowned; he knew he was much better than he had been prior to his exile.

"How?" He asked.

"You're swishing through your stances." They said. Zuko looked to his side and saw Katara watching him intently. He looked away, embarrassed.

He had picked it up from her, hadn't he?

Sokka soon found his sister and lounged, clearly bored, through the rest of their practice. Then again, when Lu Ten took Zuko to the deck for sword practice, Sokka perked up.

On the second day, when they could see the outpost from the deck, Lu Ten remarked upon their audience.

"You have to promise me not to become too enamored with their ways." He said, moving Zuko way from his friends during a break. "Fire doesn't fare so well in the ice."

"I think I'll be fine." Zuko snapped and wiped his face. His nerves were frayed and he felt peevish. Everyone kept hovering around him and it was getting harder to breathe.

Lu Ten was stone faced as he looked back at him.

"That's what I'm hoping for." He replied.

They arrived at the outpost as dusk settled over the rocks. Lu Ten, flanked by Zuri and Zuko, walked down the iron ramp wearing their full court attire. Seeing the crown in Lu Ten's topknot hurt, but the crown in his own was bizarre.

It was the one created for Ozai, the only second son to be born in their line for generations. And as second in line for the throne, with his father exiled, Zuko's scalp buzzed under its presence.

At the end of the ramp stood another familiar figure, one who also should have been dead.

"Admiral Zhao! How good it is to see you well." Lu Ten greeted, throwing his arms out. Zhao and his men bowed low as they all approached.

"Welcome your Highness." Zhao replied and stood.

"I was expecting more nerves." Zuri remarked and Zhao scowled.

"Of my best admiral? Likely he thinks of this next task as another sort of occupation." Lu Ten replied.

"Marriage isn't something to be afraid of." Zhao said.

"So why have you been avoiding it?" Zuri shot back.

Zuko furrowed his brow at the back and forth.

"I've simply had more important things to do than take a wife." Zhao said.

"I'm sure your cold nature will be perfect for the Ice Princess." Zuri laughed and Zhao growled low in his throat.

"I do believe my father has similar thoughts on marriage, all things considered." Lu Ten interjected, smiling at the darkening of Zhao's features. "Now, Admiral, may we talk, man to man?"

Zuri drew on an ugly face, looking like an oni for the briefest of moments. Lu Ten ignored them, moving to Zhao and turning him to walk back to the outpost.

"_Yatsu_." Zuri hissed under their breath. Zuko didn't know if they were talking about Zhao or Lu Ten.

The men Zhao brought with him ushered them inside, taking them away from where Lu Ten and Zhao were heading. Whatever the military importance, Zuri's exclusion had already begun and they weren't happy about it. It made them more talkative, though most of it involved swearing and calling down curses.

"Your uncle wouldn't do this to me. He knows how valuable I am." Zuri remarked as they continued further into the outpost. The soldiers were ahead of them and Zuko kept glancing to see if they were listening.

"I really thought you and Lu Ten were, close." Zuko said hesitantly. Zuri snorted.

"No one is close to your cousin." They said, then paused. Looking over at Zuko, they regarded him with suspicion.

"I am close to him, more than anyone else." They stated before facing forward. "Closer than even his own father."

A form of lover's jealousy then, instead of power grabbing.

"Whose idea was it for you to take me to Junhae?" Zuko asked. Zuri recoiled and glared at him.

"I told you, we all have our parts." They said. "Plus your mother likes me more than the military brats."

Zuko held his tongue and only mumbled through his goodbye when Zuri shoved him into a room. When the door shut, he moved over to the bed and sat down.

It was another dark metal box, with red banners and red lanterns. There was little difference between this one and his room on the ship; the size and window were reprieves.

He fell backward, staring out the open window and seeing the thin sliver of the waxing moon. Steps were being taken out of order, but he was marching down the same road. Zhao would be in the North Pole and there was a plot simmering in Lu Ten's mind. Surely they wouldn't attempt the same gambit; killing Tui would have a devastating effect on the entire world.

Except there were so many variables. Almost all of the Fire Nation family would be in the North Pole, his living mother included. Zuri suspected that he was a spirit, which put him in immense danger. Aang was missing, which felt more agonizing than when Zuko had initially begun his search for the Avatar. Yet the biggest, and most horrifying, was the knowledge that Zhao was now Yue's intended.

Zuko unpinned the crown and held it above his face, turning it in his hands. His father had worn this, sitting in every royal portrait at Iroh's side. They always made Iroh look taller.

"Why am I here?" Zuko asked of the crown. It didn't respond.

He had always asked too much of the crown.


	22. Chapter 22

There was more bedrooms, more sleepless nights, and more uncomfortable meals. Zuko's life existed within a varied boxes, not doing much at all. At first, it was helpful, giving him the opportunity to get his bearings. Now, everything felt too close. Zuri was watching him, Sokka and Katara were behind too many doors, and Lu Ten had become a smiling figure in doorways.

While at the outpost, Zuko had to avoid everyone, but especially Zhao. Seeing him again, after watching the man drown with his pride, made Zuko more ill than being around Lu Ten. His cousin had died years ago and in another country. Zuko had tried to save Zhao.

More doors closed as the troll lieutenants and Zhao spoke with Lu Ten. The rooms became smaller as Zuri rifled through books and swore. There was a garotte slowly tightening around Zuko's neck.

When the airship arrived, Zuko nearly wept in relief. He knew it would be no better, taking on another monotonous routine. But anything would be better than this waiting.

Except the airship also proved to smaller. Sokka and Katara were closer, and they all ate together, but always under Zuri's eye.

He drilled with Zuri. They both looked for weakness, for openings to exploit, but of differing natures. Sokka and Katara again watched the exercises, and Zuko could see the curiosity grow. Obviously, there was a limit to bending practice, but when the air was clear Zuri would take him out onto an observation deck.

Now, Zuko tried to keep his forms proper, without slipping into the styles Iroh had taught him. His uncle had learned a lot from the other nations, bringing them into balance within himself. Zuko might not be able to create lightning, but at least he was adaptable.

After some time, Zuri relaxed a bit and allowed Sokka and Zuko to play pai sho. An empathetic soldier had given Katara a book and she sat reading nearby.

They did not speak. Neither did they have clandestine meetings at night. After their time at the Air Temple, it was understood that trust had to be renegotiated.

When the captain made an announcement that they would be landing, Zuko felt like the airship had shrunk. His anxiety was palpable and Zuri made the choice to keep away from him. Without the drills, more and more of Zuko's nerves built up.

He remembered the last time he saw his mother. She was fleeing the palace, having made the choice to take one life to spare her son's. Zuko knew that now, after seeing how certain events had played out here being reflected in the consequences from his own timeline. The motive confused him here, as Lu Ten hadn't perished and therefore there was no reason for Ursa to make the trade.

Then again, as rumor went, it wasn't Ozai that made the request of her this time.

Zuko tried to imagine what kind of person Iroh could be if he ordered the murder of his own father. With Ozai, it was easy to understand; everything his father did had been enacted through cruelty and sinister calculation. But this Iroh had ended the Ice Raids, was de-escalating the war, and had still ended the siege at Ba Sing Se. How could he have ordered Azulon's poisoning?

Seeing his mother would change things again. Lu Ten had been only a memory to Zuko, so he couldn't compare this man to the adolescent in Zuko's past. Ursa was a real person, whose choices had left a profound effect on him.

He was both excited beyond words and terrified to his core about seeing her again. The fear of falling apart at the sight of her was also a constant worry that ate at the back of his thoughts. She was a shrewd woman, she had to be to survive Ozai, but she had also been kind. At a smile or a touch, Zuko wondered if he would collapse and expose everything.

The airship landed at midday and Zuko was ready. Again, he and Zuri wore their Fire Nation court attire. Sensing something important, both Sokka and Katara had brushed out their hair and aired their clothes to look more presentable.

The ramp lowered, but Zuko couldn't see from the overhang of the ship. Zuri nudged him, reminding him of his status. As a prince, second in line for the throne, he was the first to step into the warm sunlight.

A rank of soldiers stood, masks gleaming, on either side of the tall woman. She looked exactly as she had in his memories. Her long black hair was clipped back, falling in shining lines down her back. She still wore a topknot and Zuko felt sick at the sight of the crown. Iroh was a widower and Ursa had stepped in to fulfill the functions of the Fire Lady, but the image was unpleasant.

His feet felt like they were made out of lead and Zuko had to focus on not crying. This was something he had wanted for years. His mother stood before him, smiling gently at his approach. He tried to remember court protocol, but his mind was spinning.

Blood rushed in his ears and he couldn't hear the sounds of the yard. He could barely hear his own footsteps on the metal ramp. In public, he knew how to act and his muscle memory kicked in as he got closer. His spine straightened and his face went neutral; easier to do without the scar to twist his eye and cheek. Ursa held herself much in the same way, but did not lose the gentle smile.

"Mother." Zuko said when he reached her. He bowed and let out a shaky breath before straightening.

"My son. I am so glad to see you well." Ursa said and put a hand on his cheek. He expected the chill touch of a specter and took in a sharp breath at the warmth. Ursa lowered her hand and nodded to Zuri.

"Thank you for taking care of him." She said. Zuri bowed with a flourish and stood smiling brightly.

"It was an honor." They replied. Zuko turned away from them but had his gaze drawn inexorably back to his mother. Zuko wondered if Ursa had been plucked from his timeline and deposited here as well. Then she would not have perished, and perhaps replaced the murderess that worked for his uncle. She was free and happy, and would be kind.

"And I see we have our guests?" Ursa asked, peering over them. Zuko turned and saw Sokka and Katara slowly approach. Their presence was a surprise as Zuko already forgot about the rest of the world. They looked unfamiliar now, standing in their worn out furs like a stain of blue in a pure field of red.

"Lady Ursa, may I introduce Sokka and Katara of the South Pole." Zuri said. Ursa smiled at the siblings and Katara looked away. Zuko frowned, seeing the trepidation, and recognizing it so intimately.

"Welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay here before we move onto the North Pole." Ursa said.

"Thank you." Katara mumbled and blushed.

"Now, I must excuse myself. My son and I have much to discuss." Ursa said and turned to look at Zuko.

"Zuko." She said.

Her words from his past rippled up and Zuko felt his eyes and throat sting.

"Yes mother." He said. They walked past the soldiers and Zuko glanced over at Ursa. She held her head high and her hands hidden in her sleeves, keeping her arms barred across her abdomen. He wanted to talk to her, to ask her a thousand questions, to embrace her and prove that she was really there. That she was really there with him and not dead in some nameless place.

Zuko didn't notice the airshipyard. He didn't look around at the workers or who was unloading the ship. He didn't look back at his friends.

He could only keep looking at his mother.


	23. Chapter 23

It took Zuko longer than he cared to admit to realize how odd of a situation he was in, relatively speaking. The airdock where they had landed was attached to a military base, and it was into this compound that Ursa directed him. It wasn't odd that there was the base; this one had also existed in his own timeline but Junhae was never established as an official colony. It was more that Ursa seemed to be in residence here, when she ought to have been staying with the governor.

Zuko only realized this after his mother brought it up as they walked into the residence hall she had taken over.

"Of course I would never force such a large retinue on a small manor." Ursa continued as Zuko frowned.

"You're very thoughtful mother." He said offhandedly. He almost missed the furtive glance from Ursa, but smoothed out his face when he did.

"Have you been comfortable here?" Zuko asked.

"As comfortable as a mother can be while waiting for the return of her son." Ursa answered gently and smiled. Zuko's bones melted a bit and he focused on not tripping.

"I'm happy to be here." He said, with more honesty than he felt necessary.

"As am I. Now," Ursa straightened and smoothed out her own features with obvious performance. "You must tell me all about the South Pole. Those native children look so exotic!"

Zuko cringed inwardly, but smiled weakly. He had forgotten a lot about court life. As always, the best decision was to stay quiet, so he merely smiled weakly back at her. As they continued on he did try to start a conversation about the trip, but Ursa cut him off to make some observation about how much he had grown or something as equally banal.

Just like in his memories, Zuko trailed after his mother quietly. She showed him around the base and introduced him to various people he was supposed to be introduced to as a prince. Meaning the same middle aged faces that he saw everywhere else.

Everyone they walked past or talked to deferred to his mother, but Zuko noticed how they were always followed by guards, and many people moved mechanically.

It really was, then, an open secret that his mother had killed Azulon. To her credit, Ursa didn't seem bothered by the activity; clearly she was used to it. And all the while, the Fire Lady's crown sat pinned in her topknot. Reminding them all where she stood.

Something about the way she held herself kept Zuko from speaking directly to Ursa. She seemed aloof or distant, and Zuko's first thought was that he was in trouble.

"Here we are." Ursa said aloud, still not speaking directly to him. The door was the same heavy metal slab they had passed in the halls, but as a servant opened it, Zuko found a room from his childhood.

It was clearly an addition, as the rest of the base was the standard iron and steel. The dark planks of wood could very well have been lifted from the royal halls and pieced together here. Rich red tapestries hung on the walls and a small fire pit was carefully raked in the center of the main room. Smaller rooms were further back and Zuko had to remember to breathe.

"Just like on Ember Island right?" Ursa remarked with a lilt in her voice.

"How long have you been here?" Zuko asked. His mother stayed quiet and walked past him, heading to the fire pit.

"Would you help me, my son?" She inquired. Zuko went obediently and lit the small fire as Ursa set about making tea. During their trips to Ember Island, they always reduced their household and Ozai had found it quaint that his wife would make him tea. As if he were some minor feudal lord, Ozai would sit in a kimono and read a newspaper as Zuko and Azula would run about tossing down floor pillows.

Sitting back on the steps, Zuko stared at the pressed dirt patch. He remembered burning their home on Ember Island, razing those memories to ash.

"I am very glad to see you Zuko, but you're worrying me." Ursa said as she came to sit next to him.

"What do you mean?" Alarmed, Zuko tried not to scrutinize his mother's face.

"You were supposed to stay with your cousin. Our plan won't work if you don't know what he's doing." Ursa replied. Frowning, Zuko felt the emptiness of his mind.

"Don't you want to see your sister again? I know she misses you." Ursa continued. Zuko froze.

"I can't wait till I have both of my children with me." Ursa said and laid a hand on Zuko's cheek. He couldn't feel it.

"What." He said. Shaking himself, Zuko stood up and walked away from his mother. He flexed his fingers, clenching and unclenching them as he felt the heat build in his palms.

"Zuko? What's wrong? Are you ill?" Ursa went after him and Zuko felt nauseous.

"Why are you here? Why are you not with Uncle?" He asked. Ursa looked pained and looked back at the firepit. The kettle started to steam and she walked slowly to it.

"Things have gotten complicated. Your uncle takes Zhao's council more than mine right now, and your father isn't being helpful. Things will change after the wedding." She said as she made the tea.

"Yue is a child." Zuko remarked.

"She is also a princess. It gives Zhao what he wants while also keeping him out of our way." Ursa replied.

"Why does Uncle want a Waterbender from the South Pole?"

"You know I can't tell you that. There are things about your uncle's plan I can't discuss. But it will be fine." Ursa walked over and handed him a teacup.

It was then that he saw the gash on her arm. The scar was thin and neat as the physician had burned the wound with precision.

Ursa saw him looking and quickly retracted her arm, hiding it again in her sleeve.

"Your uncle will always protect me. What he does is for the good of our family." She stated. "And I will spill as much blood as necessary to make certain of that."

She sat down next to him and Zuko's heart trembled. Where spirits and blood were involved, only ruin would follow. He didn't need his uncle's wisdom to tell him that.


	24. Chapter 24

More food, more guarded conversation, and another bedroom. Zuko stared up at the ceiling long after the rooms around him fell silent. Instead, he could hear the fountain outside, gurgling like a beast's stomach. He needed to find a way out of here.

Of course, if he were in his own body, escape could have been possible. Bringing Sokka and Katara along would have been more difficult, but still in the realm of manageable. But no, this body had trained for courtly combat, not even the useful skills of a soldier.

This Zuko was barely functional and mostly decorative.

He didn't mind the face though.

With a gruff sigh, Zuko flung back the comforter on his futon and sat up. Rubbing his face, Zuko warmed his hands in an attempt to relax himself. He knew with full certainty that he was never going to get the full story. Everyone was hiding something, and too much of it involved him. There were too many things of which he was dangerously ignorant.

But he knew it involved his family and spirits. Which meant they still needed Aang.

For many reasons, Zuko had to get out.

Standing, he felt the liquid warmth of sleep roll down his limbs. Sick of being stuck in a box, Zuko moved to the back wall, quietly opening the sliding door. The garden was crammed behind a large stone wall, itself yards from the massive metal wall around the base. Zuko liked the stone wall made of gray concrete; anything was better than the rusted metal sheets. When the first Earth Kingdom colonies were established, the Fire Nation was the best equipped for ore refinery. They erected massive factories that churned out swaths of steel as if it were linen.

This wall was almost quaint.

"Not a great view, is it?" Katara asked from behind him. Zuko whirled, staring back at his darkened room, then upward. Katara laughed and waved as he relaxed, waving back.

"I didn't realize you guys were up there." He said.

"I don't think you realized we were here at all." She retorted. Zuko hung his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry." He said, addressing the grass.

"Has it been a long time since you've seen her?" Katara asked. She went on when he looked back up at her. "Your mother?"

"It's been a long time, for me." Zuko added and she nodded. He watched her sigh and lean on the railing, placing her head on her arms.

"I'm sorry, about yours." He said, his voice halting and skittish. Katara smiled at him before tilting her head to the side.

"Thank you." Her words were almost drowned under the sound of the fountain. Perhaps they were and Zuko only heard what he wanted to hear.

He stepped forward, his mouth open to speak, when Katara suddenly lurched upright and looked out over the garden.

"Someone's coming." She said. Zuko turned just as a row of hooks hit in unison along the top of the concrete wall.

Not Earthbenders then.

"Go." Zuko said, drawing twin blades of fire from his palms. "I'll-"

He stopped as the water from the fountain surged toward him. Looking back just as it froze, he saw Katara jump onto the ramp she created.

Distracted, Zuko missed when the figures breached the wall.

Seven people dressed in dark clothes rushed them. Zuko swung out at them- silent to conserve his breath for his fighting. The figures leapt back, fanning around him and cutting him off from Katara.

Her bending was forceful, but lacked any real skill, so she could only manage to keep the assailants from getting to her.

"They're trying to get into the house." Katara said. Zuko turned and saw one figure break away, indeed heading toward his open room.

"Enough!" Zuko spun, sweeping arcs of bright red fire along the ground, freeing him from the corral.

Katara made a grunt of exertion as she took water from the fountain and whipped it at the figure heading inside. Zuko rushed to her, guarding her back while she fumbled, trying to drag the person away from the door.

Light came from inside.

"We have to go." One figure said. A woman.

"Take the prince and the girl." She said.

"Wait." Katara started just as a figure slipped something out of their pocket and slammed it into the side of her head.

"NO." Zuko surged forward, but felt the same impact Katara did.

And everything went dark.


	25. Chapter 25

When he woke up, Zuko was on his side in a tent. The canvas was thick and the air inside was hot and stale, meaning they had been in there for a while. The sunlight that glowed on the other side put them around early afternoon. So they had been unconscious for a long time.

The pain in his head made him think that this was not the first time he had come to since being taken from the garden.

How the people had gotten both of them, unconscious and heavy, over two walls and past a number of guards, Zuko had no idea. They may have been known to the guards, welcomed even, since they had moved on the house with some sinister intent.

Perhaps they had gone to assassinate his mother. It would make sense, since the leader had instructed her crew to take Zuko.

Twisting uncomfortably, Zuko burned away the rope around his ankles, then rolled his shoulders to get his bound wrists in front of him. He couldn't yet breathe fire the way the rest of his family could so he fell onto his back, put a foot on the rope, and hoped for the best.

He kept the fire burst short, meaning he burnt his shoe like a child, but his wrists were safe. Turning around, he saw Katara lying close to where he had been. Her face was sweaty since she was still wearing her furs. Zuko made sure she was breathing, undid her ties, and sat back on his heels.

Their abductors couldn't be Fire Nation. They would have known that he could bend without drawing much attention to himself, and that using rope was pretty useless on a Firebender anyway. It still didn't rule out an assassination attempt, but it oddly comforted him that righteously angry rebels were doing this instead of his own people.

Now he had to figure out what they wanted and if they were going to kill him.

Heading to the flap of the tent, Zuko leaned as close as he could. He heard some noises, all people and no animals. As they were camped, it meant that they were a comfortable distance away from Junhae, so the mounts had to be somewhere.

Small group, able to travel, not great at gathering intel, and willing to take hostages.

Zuko stood and patted the dirt from his pants.

Bandits.

Opening the flap, Zuko was temporarily blinded by the sunlight. The people outside didn't immediately notice him, yet by the time he was done rubbing his eyes, they were all staring at them.

All seven people were young women about his own age.

The leader stood.

"Suki!" Zuko jolted forward and Suki leaned back, the other women sweeping in to guard her.

"How did you get free?" One of them demanded. In her hand was a closed fan.

They were Kyoshi Warriors. Zuko nearly cried.

"I am so glad to see you." He said, with far more emotion than he intended. The women glanced at each other, confused, and Suki pushed past them.

"How do you know my name?" She questioned.

"It's literally an unbelievable story. But I am so happy you're alive." Zuko paused and looked back at the tent. "Man, I really wish Sokka was here. It would make things so much easier."

Relaxed, Zuko didn't brace as Suki jammed her fan into his knee, staggering him. He looked up, his face twisted in pain, and groaned.

"Okay, that's fair." He said. Suki advanced on him, elegantly opening her fan. The metal shimmered in the light and rippled as the other warriors opened theirs.

"Who is your spy?" She asked. Zuko looked up at her, met her gaze, and shrugged.

"Me." He said.

"Zuko!"

Suki didn't look up and Zuko didn't look away but from the corner of his vision, he saw the others shift.

"I'm fine Katara." He said. Still, there was the sound of a whip, and Suki brought up her other fan to deflect the cord of water. Zuko blinked as some of the drops hit his eye.

"Someone restrain her." Suki ordered, still staring at him. There was the sound of running.

"How do you know my name and why do you have a Waterbender with you?" She asked. He almost didn't answer, as they both clearly heard the sounds of exertion and water splashing around them.

"I know your name because in another timeline we were friends." Zuko paused, knowing how angry Suki already was, but pushed through it. "After I tried to burn down Kyoshi to get the Avatar."

Suki sneered.

"You're mad." She said. Zuko shrugged again.

"I don't really know what to tell you." He flinched as a woman was launched past them in a deluge of water.

Suki's jaw clenched, her lips tightened, and finally she snapped her fans shut.

"Alright!" She shouted and jammed her fans into her belt. "Stop drowning my team, there's not many of us left."

Suki held out her hand and Zuko took it. His knee throbbed as he put weight on it, but Suki only frowned at him.

"And you did burn Kyoshi." She stated with disgust and tossed his hand out of hers. With a small sigh, Zuko rubbed his knee before limply following after her. Katara came to him and looked down at his leg.

"I'll be okay." He said.

"I can heal that." She said, looking up at him. He stumbled and Katara caught him, moving his arm around her shoulder.

There was thunder in Zuko's head and he couldn't even feel his body any more, let alone the pain in his knee.

She had tried to heal him once. And then she did, at the end.

"Thank you." He said hoarsely, leaning away from her, his hand gripping the front of his shirt. Katara looked at him with suspicion.

"Over here you two." Suki called. She stood by the small cook fire, fists at her hips. "You can eat something while you tell me exactly what's going on here."

Katara rolled a rude noise in the back of her throat, making Zuko chuckle.

"You don't happen to know her mother's name do you?" She asked as they walked over.

"All I know is that in my timeline, she and your brother are in love." Zuko said.

Now Katara stumbled, and Zuko nearly fell on her as his knee buckled when he grabbed her. At least he knew they were both disasters.


	26. Chapter 26

As they walked past a log, Suki shoved bowls at both of them with enough force that Zuko tottered backwards. He forced himself to sit, not wanting to test the stabilizing force of his knee. Katara had held her ground, yanking up on the bowl so Suki had to relinquish some force. With a huff, Katara sat down on the log next to Zuko.

"So how do you know me?" Suki demanded. She crossed her arms over her chest and Zuko stared up at her while he slurped on the thin congee in the bowl.

"He's-" Katara started but was cut off as Suki pointed her closed fan at her.

"I'll get to you in a minute." She said and crossed her arms again. "You, prince, now."

Zuko swallowed and lowered the bowl.

"I told you, I know you in a different timeline."

"So how did you get here?"

"I don't know."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I barely believe it myself."

"He knew my mother's name." Katara interjected. Suki looked at her and Zuko distracted himself with eating.

"So?" Suki asked.

"I'm from the South Pole and I had never even heard of him till he showed up at my village. But he knew my dead mother's name. Because I, we were all friends. To him." Katara said. Feeling their eyes on him, Zuko focused on the bowl.

"And what can you say about our friendship then?" Suki asked. Zuko sighed and swayed his head, forcing himself to look up.

"Not much. You were the only one of the group who saw me more often at my best than at my worst. So you were kind, but you were more focused on your warriors and." Zuko cleared his throat. This Suki was much more abrasive than the Suki he knew, and Zuko didn't think this one would care too much about an alternate version of her life with Sokka.

"Look, I think the fact that Zuko is being nice to you when you were trying to kill his mother says a lot." Katara snapped. Zuko jolted and he felt himself rooted to his seat.

"His mother? Why would we care about her?" Suki blurted.

"Then who were you going after?" Katara demanded.

"That's none of your business." Suki shot back.

"Suki, were you going to kill someone?" Zuko questioned, incredulous.

"Oh don't you dare try to judge me princeling. You and your family has killed so many people, including my own people!" Suki said.

"So what are you going to do now." Zuko surged upward and the other warriors were delayed in reacting. Suki already had her fan at his throat before his bowl hit the ground.

By the sacred flame, her face was exactly the same.

"We could kill you." She said.

"Both of us? Because I can tell you now, it'll be bad enough if you kill me but if Katara dies I guarantee you it won't be fire that brings you down." Zuko replied.

"You think that by telling me some fairy tale I'm just going to let you go back? You'll tell everyone who I am."

"If you're the same kind of woman as my friend, I would never do such a thing. The Suki I know is the most honorable, level headed, and just woman I have ever met."

Suki clenched her jaw and Zuko saw the muscle twitch under her skin.

"How dare you." She whispered. Zuko didn't reply.

"You cannot use some mirror version against me." Suki stated, her voice firm. "I don't know you and we are not friends."

"But we could be."

"And what does your friendship bring?"

"The end of war."

Suki and Zuko stared at each other, neither wavering. Then, as quickly as she snapped her fan shut, Suki stepped away from him.

"Then tell me how I can defeat the Fire Nation. Give me something so I know I can trust you." She said.

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

Katara stood and grabbed Zuko's hand.

"He means he can't. He doesn't understand this world." Katara looked at him and her face softened. "The war was different there."

"So how can you offer me the end of the war?" Suki questioned.

"It wasn't just me. There were more of us. You, Katara, her brother," Zuko realized that he still held Katara's hand and his throat tightened. "She and Sokka found the Avatar. Then they found Toph and all of us did it."

"The Avatar is alive?" Suki asked.

"Yes. We think he's here in the Earth Kingdom."

"Yokoya." One of the other women whispered. Zuko had almost forgotten about them and shook himself at the word.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Nothing." Suki snapped. "So is that why she's with you? Are you collecting us all again or something?"

"No it's, I don't know how this is happening. I do know that when they were heading to the North Pole they stopped near Kyoshi Island and you found them." Zuko said.

"But not like this."

"No, not like this."

"What happens next?"

"I'm not really certain. I had to deal with the Fire Navy and you didn't go with them to the North Pole. I met them there and," Zuko halted and glanced at Katara. She looked confused as he let go of her hand. "An admiral in the Navy killed the moon spirit, I kidnapped the Avatar, the North Pole princess sacrificed herself to become the new one, and I let the admiral die."

"Oh yeah, you really sound like a friend I want to have." Suki said.

"I got better." Zuko retorted.

"So it is a mirror." Suki stated and finally sat down. Zuko and Katara hesitated but also sat back on the log.

"What do you mean?" Katara asked.

"It's Zuko right? We haven't actually introduced ourselves thanks to your magical precognition." Suki said dryly. Zuko cleared his throat again and nodded.

"My name is Suki, and I am the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors." Suki gestured to the women behind her and Zuko nodded his greeting.

"I am Zuko, prince of the Fire Nation, and I am honored to meet you." He said in return, giving a truncated version of a salute. He then straightened and turned slightly to open the line of sight to Katara.

"This is Katara of the South Pole." He said.

"His friend." Katara added, her eyes narrowed. Suki snorted and rubbed her temple.

"Look, what I'm hearing is that the Waterbender found the Avatar first and then you switched teams before joining last. Is that right?" She asked.

"About right." Zuko answered.

"So maybe the Avatar is at the end of all this. And I don't know if I want to wait that long." Suki said.

A knot formed in Zuko's stomach. He hadn't considered that there would be any symmetry at all between these lives. Finding Aang as soon as possible was imperative, since Zuko had no idea what was going to happen or how he was supposed to help. And if there were mirrored points, there was a chance that Aang wouldn't be what they expected.

The Aang he knew had run as a child before getting frozen in the Avatar State. Zuko had expected that this Aang was a little older but still trapped in stasis somewhere. A cave-in or something that triggered the Avatar State.

What if Aang had chosen to stay hidden? What if he had been watching this unfold for one hundred years as Zuko had thought in the beginning?

What if the Avatar was a coward?


	27. Chapter 27

Calmer now, Suki sat down and asked Zuko to tell his story again, with more detail. Zuko explained everything that had happened, feeling much the same as he had when explaining this to Katara. Except this time, her eyes were kind and she would nod to encourage him. First he went over what happened in his own time; chasing after the Avatar, nearly capturing him a few times, his choice to betray his uncle, his time in the Fire Nation, and then everything that happened when he joined his friends. He spoke with genuine shame as he related what happened in Kyoshi, but also spoke with sincere hope as he talked about finding Suki and Hakoda in prison.

He fumbled over some events, as details surged up but were sharply dismissed. Sokka's reunion with Suki would do nothing for this stone faced woman, and neither would anything about Ember Island.

However, his words didn't falter because of this Suki's stare. It was that every time Zuko met Katara's eye, he realized they had never done this. He and his Katara had never talked about what had happened. They had never discussed their divergent paths; what it was like for her as she fought and ran, or what it was like for him to be as hunted as her. They didn't talk about the caverns - a blessing - but they also didn't talk about the day she stopped the rain.

Of course Zuko avoided that story. All of his personal narratives were left off to streamline the story. Or...

Katara nodded for him to continue.

Or to avoid making anyone think he deserved any sort of sympathy.

When he finished his story, Zuko began the one in this timeline. Suki had listened quietly before but now peppered him with questions. She tried to ascertain how Zuko had crossed over, but he had already gone over these threads. There had been no celestial intervention, no supernatural light, and no spell that bewitched him.

He had gone to bed in the palace as the new Fire Lord, already missing his friends, and woke up on a ship as the current heir of the crown prince. With Ozai exiled for treason, Zuko was second in line for the throne till Lu Ten married and had a child.

Zuko told Suki everything he knew about what was coming next. That he was heading to the North Pole to see Princess Yue married to Admiral Zhao. He admitted that he had no idea if anything would happen at the oasis. Why Katara was required was also a mystery.

When Suki asked him about his plan, it was simple: find the Avatar, stop the Fire Nation. Same as it had been for him before.

She rubbed her face with a frustrated sigh and then gestured to the warriors. They brought water and more food, and Katara started to relax.

"You've given me nothing useful." Suki said as Zuko attempted to casually pick up his dropped bowl.

"He's given you a Fire Nation ally. A pretty important one too." Katara interjected.

Zuko's ears burned and his fingers twitched against the bowl.

"I don't know how much I trust the son of the White Jade Lady." Suki remarked balefully.

Now Zuko sat upright.

"That's it." He stated. Suki and Katara blinked at him.

"You know this world and its history. You can tell me what's going on!" He said, excitedly leaning forward and gesturing with the bowl.

Suki recoiled and glanced between him and the bowl.

"So you can have more to tell your family?" She spat.

"What? No. I-" Zuko stopped with the bowl out in the space between them. "Suki, I'm just a mirror."

He was in pain, and Suki recognized that.

"You are really not from this world?" She asked.

Zuko sat back, wilting on his frame.

"I was so overcome at seeing my dead mother that I almost gave up on everything else." He turned and looked at Katara. "I know you're not the people I care about, but I'd do anything for you anyway."

Katara blinked rapidly before turning her face away. Sheepish, Zuko looked back at Suki.

"Please. Tell me." Zuko said softly. "So I can help."

Suki sighed, with less irritation, and her shoulders slumped.

"Fine." She said.

"Suki!"

They all turned and Suki stood as another woman ran up.

"Two riders! The war dog is with Shang." The warrior said in a breathless rush.

Suki frowned and whipped around to face them.

"They're looking for you. Get back in the tent and stay quiet." She ordered.

Immediately, Zuko took hold of Katara's hand and walked with purpose to the tent. He didn't know how far the riders were, but if they spotted running figures, it would certainly put them on alert.

"Alright ladies, hide your fans." Suki ordered.

Zuko pulled open the tent flap and stepped into the hot, stuffy space. Katara walked in after him and he dropped the flap, turning the light into a yellow shadow. There was nothing in the tent for them to hide behind, so Zuko sat down by the center pole. Katara sat next to him and he could see her hands shaking even as she twisted them around each other.

"It will be okay. We've always protected each other." He whispered. Katara shook her head before lowering it.

"Not us." She whispered back.

Zuko took in a sharp breath and regarded her stiff shoulders.

"I know that my friendship with you is conflated with her, and that I probably trust you way more than you trust me, but Katara, I do see you as a different person." Zuko murmured and put an arm around her. "You remind me of her, so I want you to like me. But it's because you're not her that I want to protect you."

"I can protect myself." Katara whispered sharply.

"I know that. You're a better bender than she was at this point." He said. Katara looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Sokka told me that she had to face backwards to get the water going in the right direction."

"But you said she saved your life. And defeated your sister."

"She learned amazingly fast. She was a prodigy." Zuko paused as he saw Katara's face. "You share the same bending. There's no reason for me to think that you would be anything less than amazing."

"I guess she didn't have Hama as a teacher growing up then?" Katara asked with a soft laugh.

"Who?" Zuko asked.

"And I said I don't see why a bunch of herders, all women by the way, would need so many tents." Zuri's question was heated and her words burned into Zuko's head. Of course they would send Zuri to find him.

"They've been here for days-" Another voice, a man Zuko didn't recognize, said.

"So you've said." Zuri snapped. "I'm beginning to think I should have joined the military just to bring some common sense to the ranks."

"We stay in the grazing grounds for weeks, er, sir?" One of the warriors said.

"There is no reason for you to ever address me, peasant." Zuri snarled.

"I want them questioned and these tents searched." Zuri continued.

"I've received no orders to-" The man started.

"I represent the acting Fire Lady of the Fire Nation, of which you are a citizen!" Zuri said. "And these people will be searched and questioned even if I have to do it myself!"

A shadow approached the tent flap and Zuko held his breath, tightening his arm around Katara.

It wasn't going to look good that the only other things in the tent were their untied bonds.


	28. Chapter 28

The ground opened under them.

In their surprise, Zuko and Katara sucked in a sharp breath, unable to do anything else as they fell. The ground closed over them and Zuko immediately lit a flame. Their impromptu crypt was wide enough for them to sit comfortably, but the roof was suffocatingly close. Zuko wondered if he was claustrophobic as his pulse pounded in his head.

"What happened?" Katara whispered, hysterical.

"Earthbending. We should be okay." Zuko said.

They both froze as they heard footsteps above them. Panicked, Zuko turned to where the bonds had been. And there they were, sitting the same distance away in the dark.

He stared at them in numb disbelief.

"Why is this tent empty?" Zuri asked, their voice muffled by the solid layer of dirt between them.

"If a sheepig gets sick, we have to quarantine it in case it's the flu." The warrior answered. "The flu can kill an entire herd in a month."

"Mx. Chatan." The man said. "One of the girls fessed up. A group of bandits traded their monitor horses for a plough ox. She says she didn't see the prince or the Waterbender but they did have a cart."

"The cart tracks we saw were too heavy for only two bodies." Zuri retorted. "I'll question her. You and the others search the tents."

A breeze whipped Zuko's flame and he leaned to see past Katara. It was completely dark outside of the fire's glow, but the breeze meant an opening.

"I think whoever put us down here is giving us a way out." He whispered. Katara gave him a curt nod in response and Zuko tried not to notice how tight the muscles in her jaw were. Instead, he nodded back and turned back toward the opening. They both crawled silently, though Zuko hobbled on one arm as he held out the flame.

The breeze flicked at their faces like a thread, pulling them forward. Zuko tried to remember if there had been an Earthbender with Suki at any point, but he pulled a blank. Maybe from before his arrival, or perhaps even from her own time separated from the main group.

When the air turned clean, Zuko hesitated. He could see light falling into their tunnel just a few feet ahead.

"Do you know who it is?" Katara whispered. Even in the darkness, Zuko shook his head.

When he remembered to speak, he had to clear his throat of rock and grit.

"No clue." He said and started crawling again.

When they reached the hole, they both paused, sitting outside of the pool of light. Zuko looked up and his eyes watered, making everything blurry.

The light was very far up.

"How do we-" Zuko was cut off as the ground rocketed them skyward. Too frightened to scream, Zuko only clenched every muscle in his body as Katara dug her fingers into his upper arm. They fell back to earth, he could feel his hair standing on end.

"Told you I could get them out." A young girl's voice said.

Flames burst from his palms as he stood up and Zuko found a wall of dirt in front of his face before he could take a step.

"Woah there hot hands." The voice said from behind the wall.

"Toph?" He stared at the dirt, picturing the girl behind it.

"Even I'm not that good."

The dirt receded back into the ground and there she stood. Her cloudy eyes stared up at him and her hair was cropped so short she looked like a boy. But they saw each other.

"I thought everyone said the prince was good looking." Toph said and turned to another Kyoshi warrior.

"You can't see." The other girl replied.

"I can see well enough that the scar is pretty ugly." Toph countered.

"He doesn't have a scar?" The girl looked briefly at Zuko, as if checking for the deformity.

"Ha ha, let's keep teasing the blind girl. I'll remind you that you need me." Toph said and then turned back to Zuko. Snapping, she gave him an impatient look.

"Bend down." She ordered. Zuko obliged and Toph reached up, slapping her hands onto his face. Her own face smoothed out, then her eyebrows pulled together in confusion as she rubbed her hands around.

When she recoiled, Zuko stood up calmly.

"You have a scar." She said.

"Yes." He replied.

"But no one can see it."

"No."

"This isn't your face."

"No."

Toph stared at him for a second. When she turned, Zuko knew to follow and stayed behind her as she walked into the field. He glanced back, to check on Katara, and was able to see the campsite in the distance behind her. She walked toward him and he smiled.

"How do you know me?" Toph questioned. Zuko walked over to her and looked out over the rest of the field. It was wildly overgrown; an obvious pasture that was not being used. The long grass had not yet gone to seed and was the perfect green for grazing. He wondered where the other shepherds were, and if this would make the disguised warriors a suspicious thing.

"I know another version of you. Where I have a scar and you're a terrifying-" Zuko cut himself off. For the first time, he wondered how he would impact the history of this timeline. The war he had no problems stopping. Telling Toph she invented a new form of bending was something else.

"Master of Earthbending and not a petty thief?" She finished for him.

Katara approached him and put a gentler hand on his arm.

"How many times are you going to have to do this?" She questioned.

"Only one more I think. I'm not really too stoked about having anyone else find out." He said.

"Why not? Afraid they'll make you give back your pretty face?" Toph inquired.

"Afraid they'll put more than just a scar on this one." He said. Toph snorted and fell back into the grass.

With no other questions forthcoming, Zuko went and laid down near her. The fence of grass was thin and he could see her chewing on a long stalk, her hands under her head. Katara laid closer to him, propping herself up for a moment to look at Toph as well.

She breathed and Zuko watched the medallion dangle on her necklace. The sun was warm and he was overcome with the urge to close his eyes. His eyelids lowered and Katara moved to lay back on the ground. Cicadas hummed in the field as loud as the engines in the airship. The air smelled like dirt and grass. For the moment, he did not feel out of place. This was not his body or his world, but these things were familiar. The sun, the earth, the breeze.

Katara placed her hand on his arm just as his eyes closed.

The tide that took him under.


	29. Chapter 29

"They're gone." Toph announced. The Kyoshi Warrior sighed as she got up, but Toph didn't move. Zuko opened one eye and looked over.

This Toph looked just a little different. Her face was thinner and her body was lean, even for a twelve-year-old. Blazes, had she been only twelve?

"What'er you looking at?" Toph snapped. Zuko scoffed and sat up.

"You look different." He said.

"What, I don't always look like a starving thief?" Toph asked.

"You're hardly starving now." The Kyoshi Warrior interjected. At her voice, Zuko looked over and saw her preparing a fire. He took that as a sign they'd be staying put for awhile.

"No." Zuko said slowly as he turned back. "No, you weren't a- You were a thief?"

"You're looking at the Blind Bandit, scourge of Gaoling." Toph swept her arms through the long grass in a rushing arc, sending tiny seeds spraying into the air.

"A thief?" Zuko repeated. Toph sat up now, her hair looking much like a bun of dark bread speckled with seeds.

"After your lot came into town, my parents' home was one of the first places occupied. The Beifong name didn't protect us much after that and my folks don't know anything about honest work." Toph rubbed her hands back and forth over her head to dislodge the seeds. "Didn't know much about dishonest work either I suppose."

"What are they doing now?" Katara questioned.

"I agreed to join the rebels here if someone would take care of them." Toph stilled and rested her hands on the ground, palms flat. She listened to the space around them and Zuko quieted instinctively.

"It's weird." She started, then tapped the ground. "The Badgermoles taught me so much. I learned to foresee objects the way they can rocks and stuff as they're digging. It made me a real good thief.

"I can feel you, and you feel like everyone else. You're telling me you don't belong but there's no one else inside of you. It's just you."

"So what happened to the other Zuko?" Katara asked.

"You're asking me?" Zuko replied. Katara frowned and swatted at his arm.

"I think that's a fair question. I think it'll tell us how you got here." She retorted.

"I'd like to know who I am in your world." Toph said. "What am I if not a blind thief?"

"Still blind." Zuko stated and winced as Katara smacked his arm again. Toph chuckled, either at his pair or his comment. Or both.

"But you were also the-" He stopped and shut his mouth so quickly he clipped the tip of his tongue.

Everything had been so similar that Zuko had never thought about the smaller alterations he could make. He had assumed that either destiny or through his own moral code was enough to disrupt whatever plan was being hatched by his family. It was for the greater good; to save the world by using his knowledge that this timeline's Zuko would never gain.

"Also what?" Toph prompted.

"I don't know if I should say." Zuko said.

"Oh man, do I kill someone?" Toph asked with a laugh.

"No, no, it's just." He turned to Katara and felt himself pale.

Was he supposed to tell either of them?

Toph's metalbending was used in the war, but Katara had sworn never to bloodbend again after the Southern Raiders.

"You both use a new style of bending." Zuko said as he looked at Katara. He hesitated and then stood, looking at the ground as he dusted off his pants. "Using elements no one has ever used before."

"Even the Avatar?" Katara asked as she took in a breath.

"And you don't want to tell us because you don't want to ruin some life lesson?" Toph asked.

"Yeah, actually." Zuko said.

Toph pulled her arms up, her fists clenched, and Zuko sank up to his ankles in the ground. Falling off balance, Toph relaxed her hands as the dirt loosened so that he toppled forward. Zuko braced himself and hit more loose dirt, which flew into his face.

Sputtering and wiping weakly at his eyes, he listened to Toph cackle as Katara helped him back up.

"That was mean." Katara said sharply and Zuko held up a hand.

"It's fine." He coughed. Feeling the grit in his teeth, Zuko stepped away and tried to discreetly spit out the mud forming under his tongue.

"If he can take a fire blast to the face, I think he can handle a little dirt." Toph remarked. Zuko heard the swish of the grass as she walked away and he sneezed.

Katara grumbled but approached Zuko with a floating blob of water.

"Thank you." He said and rinsed his face, clearing the bit of earth from his eyes.

"Oh, you cut your hand." Katara said. With the water worn like gloves, she took his hands and held them palm up. Passing her hands over his, she first cleared the tiny rocks from his skin. On his left hand there wasn't an actual cut, but more of a scrape. It was barely bleeding but Katara still put her watery hand on it.

The water glowed and chilled him. With a shiver, Zuko watched Katara's face as she healed him.

When she was done, she tossed the water away and Zuko looked around.

The grass around them was cracked and desiccated.

"Where did you learn to do that?" He asked. Katara looked down and her face was blank. On an older woman, or a more serious person, the look would have been neutral. But Katara was kind and open, so her face now was like a firmly shut door.

"Hama taught me." Katara tilted her head and ran her fingertips lightly over the dried stalks. They crumbled under her touch. "She made sure I'd be safe."

When she looked up at him, her smile had returned. "Why do you think my village was okay with me jumping onto a Fire Nation ship?"


	30. Chapter 30

The Kyoshi Warrior, a woman about Zuko's age named Hyun-Woo, fed them some congee with small dried shrimp. Katara marvelled over the congee, having grown up without rice. Toph attempted to make fun of Zuko for slumming it, but his recent memory of starving during his route through the Earth Kingdom plains dissolved her mirth.

They ate and waited. When the sun started to set, and neither Hyun-Woo nor Toph said anything about returning to camp, Katara started to get antsy.

"Would you spar with me?" She asked Zuko.

"Bending would not be a good idea." Hyun-Woo said quickly, her voice thin with anxiety.

Still facing him, Katara rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Would you show me some techniques?" She asked.

"Ok I don't want to point out the obvious but." Zuko still shook out his hands, getting ready.

"You move like a Waterbender." Katara retorted. "Zuri said so and I saw it."

"I learned from the best." The words came quickly and Zuko winced. Katara gave a slight frown but shook her head, tossing her hair.

"I guess you two were close." She said shortly.

"In a way." Zuko cringed away from her tone and flinched when she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well you and I aren't. So why don't you show me what the other me was so good at?" She demanded.

Firebending already included some spins and sweeps. Katara took to the arm movements easily, but the ones focused on the feet made her stumble. The legs in waterbending were mainly supportive, or else to affect water under the Bender. Using her legs and feet as if they were her arms and hands was foreign to Katara.

Zuko continued on and showed Katara what he had incorporated from his timeline. Much to his chagrin, these forms that had seemed like a game changer were beginner moves for Katara. Katara watched as he lifted his relaxed hands then laughed as he pushed into the empty air while letting out a breath. She mimicked him but after pushing, she swung her arms around. Moving like a serpent, Katara swayed through a circuit and her hands became a weight at the end of a rope. Zuko could imagine the water she had raised becoming a wrecking ball.

Feeling sheepish, Zuko took a stance with his arms up in defense. Katara smirked and took a similarly relaxed stance.

Stil without bending, they engaged in unarmed sparring. Katara kept her guard up and was good at deflecting his attacks, but couldn't find an opportunity to attack. Zuko pushed her, rapidly hitting her blocks and frustrating her. As her smile fell, Katara quickly moved into a more aggressive form.

Sokka had clearly taught her some things, but only enough to defend herself till she could either flee or bend.

After being repelled, Katara attempted one of Zuko's jabs. He caught her arm and twisted, flinging her to the ground. At her gasp when she hit the ground, Zuko stood up and looked at her.

"The only time I beat Katara was when she couldn't bend." He remarked. He held out a hand and Katara grasped his forearm. Pulling her up, Zuko kept himself from laughing at her scowl.

"She sounds great." Katara hissed and stomped away from him, heading toward the fire.

A lump formed in Zuko's throat and he stared after her.

How did he always ruin things with her?

But it wasn't really her after all.

Zuko sat down, looking back toward Suki's camp. The comfort he had wrapped around himself now melted away in the falling dusk. No one knew him, and half of the people who looked like his friends actively hated him. The other half certainly didn't like him.

Toph and Suki were the first ones to accept him. They had known the least about him and taken him at face value, once they got past the whole Fire Nation thing. Toph had even met Iroh and given Zuko the benefit of the doubt, forgiving him fairly easily after he burned her.

Sokka and Katara had changed after he had gone with them on those so-called field trips.

In this timeline, he hadn't betrayed anybody. He could understand why no one liked him based on his family, but Katara's change in behavior confounded him.

Now would be a good time to have a talk with his uncle.

But that was the root of this whole mess. That his uncle wasn't here.

The night fell with a breeze and Zuko shivered. The moon glowed like a gem in the sky, igniting the net of stars like diamonds in black velvet. When in the sky with the sun, the moon wasn't as resplendent. She shined better alone.

Feeling the ache of the night air, Zuko went to the fire, sitting opposite of Katara.

She chose not to see him.

Toph spoke to them both and surprisingly never asked Zuko about his life. Instead, she pestered him about the information he was withholding. After attempting to goad Katara into asking about her own trait Zuko was keeping back and failing to do so, Toph gave up. She started to build models in the earth, raising towns with her fist and flattening them with her palm. For the few seconds they existed, Zuko was absorbed by the level of detail.

They spent two days in idle boredom on the hill.

Katara didn't ask to spar with him again, and barely spoke to him. The shame wasn't a new feeling, but the panicked concern over fixing things definitely was. Even when Zuko had been desperate for Katara to like him in his own timeline, he hadn't felt this manic about it.

He paced around the camp, slinking after and around Katara. She spent a lot of her time practicing her forms and Zuko's chest tightened when he caught a few instances of firebending technique slip in. She had rejected him then, but not his gifts.

Just as Zuko felt like he was going to break, Toph slammed her scale model of Gaoling back into the earth.

"Suki gave the signal. We're going back." She stated. Hyun-Woo heaved a deep sigh and started to pack.

"Why did we have to wait so long?" Katara asked.

Toph stood and bent backwards to stretch, unleashing a series of pops from her spine. After cracking her neck, Toph stepped into horse stance.

"The camp was being watched. Now the Fire Nation guards are finally looking for the bandits." She said while lacing her fingers together and bending them to crack the joints.

"Please tell me we're not going back underground." Zuko said.

"If you're so scared of the dark Sparky, make a light." She replied. Short, sharp bursts of her hands made the ground snap open. Earth rushed away in front of them and fell down a ramp that led into darkness. Toph marched past them down the ramp and Zuko sighed. Spinning his hand around, a flame popped up in his palm. His other hand he held out.

Katara looked at him and then down at his proffered hand. Hyun-Woo, carrying a large pack, gently nudged Katara's shoulder as she passed.

Frowning, Katara took his hand and looked down and away.

"I don't want to lose you in the dark." He said gently. Her frown deepening, Katara met his gaze.

"It's a straight tunnel." She said.

"You're right." Zuko loosened his hold and started to pull away. Katara tightened her grip and Zuko felt his face warm.

"I guess weirder things have happened to you than getting lost in a one way tunnel." She added. Zuko smiled and his flame leaped upward as she smiled back.


	31. Chapter 31

The sun had set while they walked and Zuko kept his flame as they exited the tunnel into the dim twilight. Kyoshi Warriors were moving quickly to pack up the camp and Hyun-Woo darted to join them. Toph didn't move and Zuko looked at Katara, unsure of what to do next.

"Suki's coming." Toph announced and then turned back toward them. "You don't need to hold hands anymore."

Katara's hand zipped out of his and Zuko looked down. The earth trembled slightly as Toph buried their tunnel and Zuko continued to look at his empty palm.

Suki approached with two other women, one of whom held a length of rope and the other had a pair of sacks.

"I don't like any of this." Zuko groaned and slumped over.

"Here's the plan." Suki started, gesturing to the woman on either side of her. "We're giving you back."

"Wonderful. Question, why the sacks?" Zuko asked.

"Because this way you'll be able to deny ever seeing us." Suki replied evenly.

"That's acceptable." Katara said and looked at Zuko. He shrugged and she frowned.

"There's just a couple of things first." Suki said and waved another woman forward. Approaching with two cups, Zuko eyed the fans tucked into her belt warily. Looking toward the others, he found that all of them had their weapons easily accessible.

"I don't know how long it'll take them to get to you, so this will keep you hydrated." Suki explained as Zuko and Katara took a cup. "Drink them quickly."

Zuko tossed his back quickly, and blanched at the taste. Katara also made a noise of disgust and grimaced at Suki.

"How long has this been in your water bag?" She asked.

"It'll be fine." Suki said and watched as Katara finished her drink. "Alright, now it's time for the other not fun part."

The woman with the rope approached and wrapped Katara tightly. Zuko stepped forward as she winced but Suki held up her hand.

"We will be in touch, prince. You are going to help us as you said, but I can't risk holding onto you for much longer. Your bodyguard has started burning houses." She said, still watching as Katara was restrained.

When Katara wobbled, Zuko moved again. Now the woman with the cups intervened, holding him at bay with her fan.

"We have to make this look like an authentic kidnapping." Suki said.

"Zuko-" Katara pitched to the side, but her captor caught her and slowly lowered her to the ground.

"Is she okay?" Zuko asked. His vision tilted and his stomach lurched in the opposite direction as if to balance him.

"A potent sedative that can be smelled on the breath." Suki shrugged and faced him. "Anything to make it convincing."

"You can't just," Zuko stumbled as his vision abruptly shifted to the other side of his skull. "They're always going to be suspicious."

"You're going to tell them that we were Fire Nation rebels and that we were going after the Tribal siblings. When we found out you were the prince and that the Red Hound was onto us, we dumped you to escape." Suki explained.

"They're suspicious of me, so they might not believe me." Zuko replied. Suki smirked and the woman with the fans lowered her arms.

"So we're going to make this believable." She said. And punched him in the face.

Zuko woke mid-groan. He was sitting on the ground and his torso had been tightly bound to a tree. Knobby bark dug into his back and an ache had started in his hip. The sack over his head was coarse and the rough fibers scraped against his face. Pain flared in thin lines from the touch whenever they passed over the bruises. He could still breathe easily from his nose, so at least that wasn't broken, but it felt like a rock had been jammed into his cheek.

Suki had a mean right hook.

"Are you awake?" Katara asked.

"Yeah." Zuko managed as he struggled against his bonds.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tied pretty tightly to a tree." Katara said, deadpan.

A memory flashed in Zuko's head and he flushed from the shame of it.

"Where are you? Are you close?" Katara questioned and Zuko could feel the ropes shift as she moved. His hands were tied behind him but he still moved them as much as he could. It shocked him when his fingertips touched something soft and his hands shot back toward his body. Quietly, he put his hand back out and found Katara's.

"Do you still have your necklace?" He asked.

"Yeah?" Katara shifted again and Zuko ensnared more of her fingers.

"Good, I'm-"

Barking in the distance made him freeze.

"What was that?" Katara asked.

"Our rescue party." Zuko said and felt his fingers prickle. "Look, we tell them that Fire Nation rebels took us because they wanted you and your brother. We don't know why. We didn't see anything. We're getting returned because they found out I'm the prince."

"Got it." Katara whispered.

The barking hounds got closer and then there was yelling. Ropes were cut, Zuko was lifted, and the sack removed all in one dizzying go. There was no need for pretense when the rows of handheld flames made him wince and stumble.

"The prince has been drugged." One soldier announced.

"The Waterbender as well." Another said.

"Is she-" Zuko half turned but almost fell as his knees slowly regained some feeling.

"Are you well your highness?" Zuri asked casually. Their hand on his shoulder, Zuko tried to look at Katara but was turned away.

Zuri made a noise of disgust as they illuminated his face. "You look terrible."

"I was punched in the face." He responded dryly.

"Your poor mother is already distraught, I fear your injuries may devastate her." Zuri sighed.

"I can-" Katara started to speak but Zuri snapped at the guards.

"I said to keep her restrained, you fools! She isn't to be released until we know she's completely innocent." They said.

"Now hold on-" Zuko took a step but was once again stopped by another raised hand.

"I'm not exactly certain of you yet either, prince." Zuri lingered on his title and Zuko glared at her. At least with that he could speak with full honesty; he was a Fire Nation royal.

"Let's get them back to the manor. I will tell her royal highness of her son's safe return." Zuri said and lightly clapped a hand against Zuko's cheek. He winced, sucking in air sharply between his teeth, and Zuri smirked.

"Go and question the locals. Someone must have seen something when these two were offloaded." Zuri announced as they walked away from Zuko. Scowling, Zuko blew a breath out of his nose. Steam curled upward in a velvet ribbon, and two soldiers stiffened.

There were only two people known to breathe fire, and in this world his uncle may not have been so careful about it.


	32. Chapter 32

"What were you even doing out there together?" Zuri questioned.

They were all corralled in a common area. A few requisite soldiers were there, but the rest of the compound seemed indifferent to his three day disappearance. Ursa was the only one who looked even remotely anxious, while Zuri and Sokka were absolutely livid.

"I heard a noise-" Katara started.

"I wasn't asking you." Zuri barked.

"I thought it'd be perfectly safe to go out into a walled garden in the middle of a Fire Nation fortification." Zuko said idly. "Apparently I was incorrect in that assumption."

"You seem oddly relaxed for someone who's just been kidnapped." Zuri growled.

"But knowing you were coming to rescue me, how could I ever fear?" Zuko asked.

"Zuri." Ursa said gently and Zuri turned in one fluid motion to go to her side.

"You doubt the honor of my son?" Ursa asked. Her words were a sweet kind of hurt, but her bronze eyes were sharp.

"Of course not my lady. I just think your son may be as tender-hearted as you." Zuri replied, moving their hands in small circles. "The bandits must be caught and punished."

"Well then what are the rest of the soldiers doing? They're the ones awfully calm about the prince being kidnapped!" Katara snapped.

"You were kidnapped too!" Sokka interjected and Katara leveled him with an exasperated look.

"I doubt they very much care about that at all." She retorted.

Zuri revolved and advanced on her. "You don't know anything about-"

She stopped as the door opened and the soldiers snapped to attention. Another entered and bowed deeply, causing Zuko to retreat to his mother's side. In synchronized movements, they both instinctively started to straighten their clothes.

The familiar face made Zuko almost cry out. His eyes watered anyway and his spine went rigid. Ursa, conversely, relaxed and made a small happy noise.

"Well this is better than I expected to find." Iroh said and Ursa walked gingerly to him. She put her hands on his arms and he reached to hold her forearms.

"Dearest brother, I am so happy you came." She said.

"Sister, I'm never happier than when I see your face. I am glad to see it at peace." Iroh replied. After a moment, Ursa stepped aside and Iroh examined the room.

When his gaze landed on Zuri, they sputtered.

"Fire Lord! I didn't know you were coming." They said.

"When my nephew goes missing, I think it's worth a detour." Iroh replied.

"YOU are the Fire Lord?" Sokka blurted.

Iroh looked at him and frowned. Having been flanked for years by Azulon and Ozai, Iroh had not been fond of his stature. Zuko's uncle didn't mind, but he wasn't sure about this Iroh.

"Uncle." Zuko said quickly and stepped forward. "I apologize for making you come all the way here. As you see, Zuri rescued me without a problem."

"Only after you were gone for three days." Iroh replied and looked him in the eye. His own narrowed and Zuko flinched.

_Please_, he begged the heavens, _please don't let him know me._

"The competency of these soldiers is questionable." Zuri remarked. The guards behind Iroh straightened and Zuko could feel the temperature in the room shift.

"Yes, though it's always unfortunate to lose even one man during a war." Iroh said.

"You," Zuko swallowed trying to get his words out. "Executed them?"

"Of course. But only the ones who proved dishonorable." Iroh said and then turned to Ursa. "And it is the greatest dishonor is to upset a beautiful woman."

"You would have found him in a day and immolated the bandits in one fell swoop." Ursa said and put her hand in his.

A queasy feeling started in Zuko's stomach but seeped out to make his skin crawl.

"Fire Lord, will we be accompanying you north then?" Zuri asked. Zuko realized that they had become subdued since Iroh arrived; still they acted like a dog whose master had returned and less like a mistreated beast.

"Of course. We've wasted enough time here, so we'll be leaving in the morning." Iroh answered.

Looking astonished, Ursa covered her mouth with her free hand.

"Oh my Lord, I didn't prepare a room for you." She said and put on a deeply remorseful face.

"My dear, the governor's house is empty. I'm sure the servants would be glad for something to do." Iroh replied and Ursa laughed lightly.

Horrified, Zuko watched them.

"You know, I have the perfect candidate for governor. She is very loyal." Ursa said.

"Come and tell me about it while I eat." Iroh said.

And with that, they left.

Speechless, Zuko stared at the doorway. The soldiers sagged against the wall and Zuri took a few steps into the center of the room. Katara and Sokka only blinked at the empty space, unsure of what just happened.

How many people had Iroh just murdered? And now he was having a meal with Ursa, as if it were nothing.

Staggering, Zuko managed to get himself to a chair before he collapsed.

"What's wrong with you?" Zuri demanded. Katara sucked on her teeth as she went to Zuko's side.

"We've barely slept or eaten, Zuko's very clearly been beaten, what do you think?" She retorted.

"Watch your mouth peasant." Zuri said and thrust a finger out at Katara. "You'll burn your tongue speaking so."

"Don't threaten my sister." Sokka said. "Or I'll break that damned finger you're putting in her face."

"Zuri, we've done nothing to you that warrants this hostility. Either get us some food or get us someone who will." Zuko said.

Zuri snarled but whirled on the soldiers.

"Go and fetch the prince some food!" Zuri marched to the door and stopped, suddenly grabbing the front of one of the soldier's uniforms. "And remember to feed the Tribals or you'll be wandering the Valley of Lost Souls before dawn."

They walked out of the room and the soldiers looked at each other; none of them wanting to follow after Zuri.

"And get me some water to heal the prince!" Katara called out as she knelt next to Zuko's chair. At her request, one of them finally broke off and went out into the hall.

"Your uncle doesn't look that impressive." Sokka said and crouched next to Katara.

"He's the Dragon of the West for a reason; I wouldn't underestimate him." Zuko said with a sigh.

"So why were you with my sister in the middle of the night?" Sokka asked.

Katara swatted his arm and scowled. Sokka scowled right back and rubbed his arm.

"He kept me safe. Be nice." Katara hissed.

"Wish I had some gallant prince to keep me safe these past three days." Sokka grumbled. Zuko sat up and looked at him.

"Were you not?" He asked.

"For the first two days they thought Katara and I had abducted you ourselves and part of the plan was for me to stay behind." Sokka said.

"What? But you've never been out of the South Pole." Zuko said.

"Sure, but we got contact from the outside world now and again. Plus, we were oddly friendly with you all things considered." Sokka sounded bitter and it wounded Zuko. A barb lodged itself in his ribs and Zuko shifted uncomfortably.

"Our friendship is odd." Katara agreed and looked down at the rug.

Zuko rubbed his eyes and winced as he pressed on the damaged flesh under his right eye. Thankfully Suki hadn't broken his nose but his cheekbone had seen better days.

"Unfortunately, I'm not concerned about what others think. I'm usually too preoccupied with what Katara thinks about me." Zuko said with a sigh. He turned his face to the side and rested his chin on a fist as he thought.

He would have to be more cautious about his appearance. Being overly eager had made Suki defensive and Zuri's suspicion removed a level of safety for him. There had to be a way to get back some of that goodwill, and it most likely resided in how he navigated his relationship with Iroh.

That required a plan.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Sokka asked.

Coming back from his thoughts, Zuko lifted his head and his hand relaxed into a refined pose. He leaned forward and reached out to Katara. As his other hand moved to her face, she leaned back slightly and blushed.

"I have a bit of a terrible idea." Zuko said. Katara took in a breath and her lips parted slightly. Then Sokka slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch my sister." Sokka snapped.

Zuko had to pull up an image of Azula but leaned casually toward Sokka.

"You are really going to hate this." He said, making sure to keep his voice low.

"Hate what?"

Zuko stood up and held out a hand to Katara. She took it and he pulled her up. Sokka stood, squaring his shoulders.

"Would you like to play a little bit?" Zuko asked Katara as he lifted her hand up.

"Play?" She repeated.

Carefully, lightly, Zuko kissed the back of Katara's hand and winked.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I fixed Zuri's name. Thank you!**

Ursa returned to their shared room late that night. She smelled like warm water and jasmine, entering with a dampened lantern to make her form glow in amber light. Moving around in silence, thinking Zuko to be asleep, he was able to watch her. It didn't seem like she was getting ready for bed. Ursa moved around the room, idly shifting objects and pausing to look through a few chests.

When it did seem like she was about to retire, Zuko sat up on his futon. Startled, Ursa clasped her robes tightly in her hands and whirled around.

Loose strands of her hair cut dark lines across her face, and her visage was fractured in the light.

"Mother." Zuko said and watched her relax.

"Ah my son, I thought the bandits had returned." She said and shuffled over to her own futon next to his.

"Are we safe here?" Zuko asked.

"Why would we not be?" Ursa replied.

"You have been harmed in my absence." Zuko paused and took a chance. "You said we wouldn't get hurt."

"Your uncle…" Ursa trailed off and stared over at the door. In the dark and with the lamp turned down low, it existed outside of the hazy boundary. It loomed just on the edge of his sight, standing as a waiting assassin.

"Did he hurt you?" Zuko asked urgently. Ursa stood up and untied her robes, forcing Zuko to turn away.

She didn't reply as she dressed, and Zuko just listened to fabric shift over itself as she folded things. When Ursa sat back down, Zuko looked down at his hands in his lap.

"Your uncle is growing impatient, and impatient men do rash things. As your father has already proven." Ursa sighed and Zuko felt her prod him with something hard. Glancing over, he saw the comb in her hand. He took it easily and turned his body just as Ursa presented her back to him.

"I did what was needed to make sure he wouldn't get rid of me." She added.

"And that required your blood?" Zuko questioned. He ran the comb gently through her hair, meeting tangles only briefly before the glossy strands gave way.

"It did, actually."

The lantern stained Ursa's skin the color of honey. Still, Zuko was overly familiar with scars, and hers was still so new. A gash cut across her arm, causing a break in her porcelain skin.

The strong scent of jasmine in her hair made Zuko wonder what kind of gold Iroh had used to repair her.

"While you were away in the South Pole, one of your uncle's mystics told him of a calling spell. There was a minor celestial event and by using something with the Avatar's essence, he would be able to call upon the spirit of the Avatar." Ursa explained. She ran her fingers lightly over her scar, moving them back and forth over the line.

"I carry the blood of the last Avatar." She murmured.

And now he understood.

By his mother's blood and with his uncle's voice - the two people he loved the most - Zuko had been ripped from his world and sewn into this one. Bound to this story by his own heartstrings.

Because he, too, carried the blood of the last Avatar.

His fingers spasmed and Zuko dropped the comb onto the floor between them.

And so did Azula.

"Mother, where is Azula?" Zuko struggled to ask, his voice hoarse and dry.

"She is safe." Ursa said and turned quickly. She held his face in her hands and she looked concerned. "I would never let anyone harm your sister."

He struggled to swallow and Ursa misread his panic, pulling him into a tight hug.

"You must be strong Zuko. You must be strong for her and for all of your family." Ursa whispered into his ear.

"One day you will be Fire Lord, and you will save us all."

Zuko didn't sleep that night. In the morning, as the sun breached the horizon and the birds began their dialogues, he had a headache. Ursa fretted over him, questioning Katara's healing until he waved her away. The throbbing in his head threw off his balance and he tried to focus on his steps. Anything to think of something other than his current preoccupation.

It wasn't until they rounded a corner heading to breakfast that Zuko remembered his plan. Sokka and Katara were escorted by a servant, having lost their armored guard for the time being.

"How did you find your accommodations?" Zuko asked as he sidled up to Katara. She turned her face demurely but the corner of her mouth lifted. To his mother, she may have seemed coy. But Zuko knew she was simply trying not to laugh.

"Much better than the cold ground of the past few nights." Katara replied, hiding her lips behind a loose fist.

"I would think your people do best sleeping under the light of the moon." Zuko said. Katara turned to him, fully smiling now.

"I do better sleeping in a bed, my prince." She retorted. Zuko felt a rush of cold fire pass over his skin. Sokka pushed his way between them with a dowsing scowl.

"We have a princess, not a prince." Sokka snapped, looking first at Katara but ending by glaring at Zuko.

"Don't tease the tribals my son." Ursa remarked as they all approached the dining room. "Though they are a marvel in such a state."

Sokka colored at the insult but said nothing. Katara was also dampened but smiled again as Zuko discreetly brushed his hand against hers. Her fingers twitched and Zuko's headache disappeared.


	34. Chapter 34

The plan was simple; everyone treated Katara and Sokka like exotic treasures, so Zuko would behave as if he was swept up in the same fever. He was a young man after all, and no one could deny that Katara was a beauty for her age. It would be an excuse to be close to her, and he wouldn't have to try too hard at all to make his affection believable.

He was more worried about getting punched by Sokka now than he had been of Zuri's suspicion.

Breakfast would be the first test of Zuko's gamet. If Iroh could overlook his familiarity with the Water Tribe siblings, then he would be relatively safe from then on.

Iroh was already at the table, flanked by two men in partial armor, papers laid out in front of him like oversized napkins. Yet as Ursa entered the room, he silenced the others, stood, and escorted her to the table. Left alone, Zuko gestured with his chin and they all took their seats on one side of the table. Despite his attention, as Iroh retook his seat, he immediately began conferring with the other men. Ursa looked at them sitting opposite her and gave them a dreamy smile.

Food came in just as Zuri entered and Zuko chuckled quietly as he saw them spin on their heel at the sight of him. Ursa called them and Zuri sat next to her, glowering at Zuko.

"And what has put such a sour look on your face so early in the morning?" Iroh asked. Zuri looked back at him.

"I find myself wondering if perhaps I've been mislead by my place at your table, Fire Lord, as you seem to feed mongrels at the same time." They replied. Iroh gave them a cold look and waved away the men with him. The pair bowed and swiftly picked up the scrolls and papers, shuffling backward out of the room. The other servants, pouring tea and scooping rice, became nervous; they belonged to the compound and the now dead governor, they were not used to Iroh's tempers.

But neither was Zuko.

"I find your over familiar behavior with my son quaint, but it has grown irritating now that you treat my nephew with such disdain and are so rude to my guests." Iroh said.

Shockingly, Zuri did not recoil. Sitting back in their seat, they merely shrugged.

"You keep me around because I'm good at keeping people alive. Why have you started doubting me now?" They replied.

Iroh then turned to Zuko.

A thick, sick sweat sprouted between his shoulder blades and trickled down his spine.

"Uncle, I'm sixteen. This is my first time truly outside of the palace and really, can you blame me for being so interested in our guests?" Zuko held out his hands and Iroh looked past him to Katara and Sokka.

Leaning back, Iroh slowly stroked his short beard.

"In my travels of the Earth Kingdom, as a younger man, I met a woman from the North Pole. She was a delight to talk to." Iroh nodded and then faced Zuri again. "I do not doubt your intuition Zuri, but I think you are distracted from your more important duties. For now, I think we can count on his mother keeping my rambunctious nephew in line."

Zuko noted how his mother's eyes flicked toward him, but she didn't actually glance at him. He was not supposed to draw so much attention, or so he was left to assume.

He wondered again what she had meant when he would be Fire Lord.

But for now, he was glad that his friendship with Katara and Sokka was deemed trivial.


	35. Chapter 35

His uncle had everything packed with precision. The soldiers were loading everything onto a battle airship; these were easily ten times the size of the one Lu Ten had commanded. Of course it would be what carried the Fire Lord into the North Pole.

That was one of the things, out of many to be sure, that was bothering Zuko. He had watched as his uncle smoothly talked about murdering a number of their own soldiers for treason and yet sought no active vengeance against the bandits who had kidnapped Zuko in the first place. Iroh was flying into the North Pole with an obvious example of Fire Nation might, and proving that the winter sea could no longer hinder them, yet he had stopped the ice raids and breached peace.

This Iroh, like his Iroh, attempted to commune with spirits.

Remembering the cut on his mother's arm, Zuko clenched his hands into fists, feeling the heat ball there.

"Are you feeling alright, prince Zuko?" Iroh's question pierced through Zuko's back, puncturing his lungs. He took in air but it had nowhere to go. He struggled to breathe as he turned around.

"I'm not sure Uncle." Zuko answered haltingly.

"You are unsure of how you feel?" Iroh asked, sounding amused. "Have you uncovered a new emotion?"

Zuko chuckled; a low, dry sound that stayed mostly in his mouth.

"I'm unsure of my path Uncle. Ever since I met," Zuko paused and glanced over at Iroh's calm face. "...the natives, I've felt, odd."

Iroh nodded and stroked his beard. It was shorter than his uncle's, but the action was so familiar it stunned Zuko. Still, he steeled himself, trying for a gambit that might get him more of what he needed.

"Young love will do that to you." Iroh said with a smile. Zuko frowned and recoiled.

"I am not-" He started but was interrupted by Iroh's laughter.

"Enjoy yourself while you can, prince Zuko. Once we find a suitable bride for you, I expect you to behave with honor." Iroh said. He patted Zuko's back and faced the airship, his hands held loosely behind his back.

"I am glad you are more open with me again. After the incident with your father, I had started to believe you mistrusted me." He went on.

Zuko now overcorrected and started to lean too far forward. He found himself unbalanced by the shifting conversation, which he had started. Cursing himself, Zuko grabbed at errant thoughts and assumptions.

"Uncle, I would never mistrust you. Especially when my mother is so loyal, how could I be anything else?" He asked.

"Naturally, as my nephew you have always been loyal. So you will have to tell me what happened in the South Pole soon. I have heard a few interesting stories about you." Iroh said. Zuko froze, standing straight up and feeling the hair on his arms do the same.

Iroh and Ozai had the same eyes.

It was too easy to forget that they were brothers.

"Of course Uncle. Nothing would make me happier." Zuko said and rushed into a bow. Iroh laughed again and patted Zuko's shoulder.

"We will board the ship now. We cannot keep Zhao waiting for his bride can we?" Iroh walked up while Zuko was still bent over. The ability to breathe again made Zuko heat up drastically and sweat ran down his sides and neck. As he stood, he tried to steady his breathing.

Zuko made it onto the ship without further incident. His mind was in full panic mode, and he knew he had to escape before someone figured out he didn't belong. And if the prevailing theory was that he was a spirit who had taken over Zuko's body, it didn't seem likely they would spare him. If the prince was dead, then it didn't matter if they killed him.

Knowing that Suki and Toph were together and fighting was helpful. If Zuko could somehow get him, Sokka, and Katara away, they could link up with the Kyoshi cell and do, something. Find Aang. If they found Aang they would be able to fix this and maybe even send him home.

He focused on his breathing. He felt it fill his lungs and refresh his blood. He felt the air travel through his limbs as he took in more. As he released a breath, it came slowly. It brought up heat from the soles of his feet and into his gut. It came from his fingers and swirled in his chest. It filtered through his throat, wanting to be ignited, but passing over his teeth without a cinder.

Inhaling fed the fire, but exhaling released it. And Zuko was full of fire at the moment. Self-immolation was becoming a very real concern for him.

Aang was probably somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Zuko assumed, since there was no talk of a titanic Waterbender running around, that Aang was still alive. And if the Avatar was just a rumor now, it meant that he was most likely stuck in the Avatar state like he had been in the South Pole.

A landslide could easily account for that.

By the timeline, Aang was probably a teenager and had been schooled in at least waterbending. If they were lucky, he'd have earthbending mastered as well. If not, they did have Toph again. This would surely be easier.

All he would have to do is fight a man that looked exactly like the only family who ever truly loved him and possibly also his mother.

Losing control of his breath, Zuko shouted and fire erupted from his hands, scorching the walls of the hallway he was pacing.

"Woah there hot-head." Sokka said, coming down the hall toward him. "Katara doesn't have her magic water on her and I'm not fireproof."

Popping up from behind his shoulder, Katara smacked Sokka's arm.

"It's not magic." She stated.

Sokka rolled his eyes.

"I know, I know. It's an ancient art unique to our culture." He said gently mocking. He smiled as Katara smacked his arm again.

"So is something bothering you Sparky?" Sokka asked, focusing on Zuko.

"Is this going to be a thing? The nicknames?" Zuko asked in reply. Sokka shrugged.

"Until I find one that fits yeah." He said. Zuko sighed heavily and rubbed his face with a firm hand.

"I've just got a lot on my mind." He said. Pulling down on a cheek, he stared at Sokka. "And these are tight quarters."

Curious, Sokka looked around, but also sighed and nodded.

"Right." He said. "Well, since it looks like we're not under guard anymore, what do you want to do?"

"Prepare." Zuko said. Sokka looked confused and Zuko walked up to him with a grin.

"We gotta make sure you can do more than smack people with your boomerang." He said and tapped Sokka's gut with the back of his hand.

"Hey." Sokka retorted with a frown, pushing Zuko's hand away. "I'll have you know I am the fiercest wolf warrior in my village."

"Sokka, I've seen your village. You're older than the other wolf warriors by ten years." Zuko retorted. Katara snorted and Zuko smiled wider.

"Fine. But I'd like to see how you get anyone to let me do anything remotely violent." Sokka said.

"Obviously we can't let anyone find out. Especially if I'm going to be helping Katara too." Zuko replied. Katara perked up and leaned closer, bracing herself against Sokka.

"Really? With bending?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's the least I could do." Zuko said. Katara's eyes glittered with excitement and Zuko had to take a step back.

"For now, I think it's best if we get our bearings. Let's meet tonight at the prow of the ship." He added. Katara nodded vigorously and Sokka shoved her off.

Zuko was glad they were excited. It would be helpful if he faltered, knowing that these two had no issue with combatting either Iroh or Ursa. He would just focus on Zuri, because they certainly were the biggest threat to his continued existence. And they were a big enough threat to let him forget about the rest. So he hoped.


	36. Chapter 36

Perhaps Zuko had been pulled from his world, but it started to feel like he had been trapped in the Spirit World. It was a punishment; the sin of a son overthrowing his father. Now he was forced into this alternate world that had him miserably living the same day over and over, with minor enough changes to make him think he could change something to make it better.

He rolled over in his bed and stared at the sheet metal covering the walls. Another airship. Another confined space where he was mistrusted. Another trip that saw him trapped and vulnerable, with the added risk of his friends' safety.

It was getting very, very tiresome.

Closing his eyes, Zuko tried to fall asleep. The nights had been difficult since his exile. If not constantly ruminating over his hunt for the Avatar, it turned into a constant cycle of escape and guilt.

Why he had ever thought he'd sleep better after becoming Fire Lord, Zuko would never know.

The only plus side to the constant repetition was that he was getting used to some things. The loud whir of the engines was easily ignored and the sounds of the air outside was actually comforting. Focusing on that, Zuko went through the relaxation techniques his uncle had tried to teach him years ago.

Relaxing slowly, Zuko let himself dissolve into the loud whirring and far away rush of sky. He could feel himself drifting, the odd gravity of sleep pulling on his eyes, and his body felt both heavy yet afloat.

Still not finding sleep, Zuko sat up and rubbed his eyes.

And screamed.

The fog was thin and wispy, but hovered just above the rough ground. Odd animals, of nothing he had ever seen before, darted here and there. Lumbering beasts were further off, and Zuko jumped to his feet.

He had no idea where he was.

"Zuko!" A familiar voice called. Zuko froze and turned about, trying to find the person the voice belonged to.

"Aang?" He yelled back.

"Zuuuuuko!" Aang continued calling and Zuko now started jogging in the direction he thought the voice was coming from.

"Aang, I'm over here!" He yelled.

"ZUKO!" Aang bellowed and Zuko started to run.

"I'm here! I'm here!" He shouted, his voice catching on something in his throat.

"Zuko, where are you?"

"I'm right here! Aang, please! I'm here!"

The fog got thicker and rose up around him, slowing his pace. Looking around, Zuko could still hear the echoes of Aang's calling. But as he turned around in circles, he could see nothing.

Gripping his hands into fists, Zuko braced himself. With a shout, he tried to blast through the fog with his fire. And nothing happened.

Looking down, he saw the ghostly blue his hands had become. What all of him had become.

He had gotten pulled into the Spirit World, again, and Zuko prayed that his thought wouldn't come true. Being trapped here, so close to his friends but unable to reach him, was sheer horror.

Zuko sank to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself and digging his fingers into arms he couldn't feel.

"Help me! Please!" A more familiar voice rang out and terror dipped down his spine.

"Zuko, please!" Azula called to him, sounding frightened.

"Please Zuko, I'm scared!" She yelled. She was close.

Staggering to his feet, Zuko turned around and stumbled through the fog. It parted as he walked, once again becoming wisps hovering above the dark ground. On a hillock, covered in lavender grass, he saw a young woman crying.

"Azula?" He asked, cautiously. Azula would never let herself be seen so pitifully.

The young woman lifted her head and turned. She was, without a doubt, his sister.

"Zuko!" She said, the relief and joy in her voice breaking his heart. Leaping up, Azula ran to him and embraced him, pressing her face into his chest.

"I knew you'd help me. I heard you and I knew you would find me." She was crying. Slowly, Zuko put his arms around her, not knowing what else to do.

"It'll be okay." He said softly and Azula laughed.

"First it was that horrible voice in my head and then the nightmares. When I ended up here, I thought I had been kidnapped by a spirit!" She said.

"A voice?" Zuko asked, frowning.

"Yeah. And it sounded like," Azula lifted her head and stopped. "Me."

Zuko looked down and Azula screamed, suddenly pushing him away.

"What happened to you?" She shrieked.

Confused, Zuko held out his arms.

"What-" He started but Azula interrupted him, pointing up at him.

"Your face!" She said.

Zuko lifted his hand and touched his unfeeling flesh on his face.

"Ah." He said and then lowered his hand.

"I was burned." He replied.

"By whom?" Azula demanded.

Zuko didn't answer but looked at the other version of his sister. Her face wasn't as thin. Not through any deviance of genetics, but only that this Azula probably indulged more than his sister. Her eyes were not as cruel and her body was held in a softer way.

"It doesn't matter. You won't see it when we meet in the physical world." He said. Azula looked horrified.

"What does that mean? Did a spirit burn you? Can that happen?" She asked, turning this way and that, looking frightened again.

"Azula, it will be okay. But we need to get back to our bodies." Zuko said. Azula trembled and bit her lip, but nodded.

"Alright." She said and then stuck out her hand. Surprised, it took Zuko a moment to understand. He held her hand and she stepped in next to him.

"Don't let go." She murmured.

"I won't." Zuko replied softly.

Picking a way that seemed to have less fog, they started to walk. Azula yelped like a small animal when a spirit came too close and eventually clung onto Zuko's arm. Seeing her this way, he wondered what Lu Ten had meant about Azula being destructive in the South Pole.

"I tried to use my bending, but it doesn't work here." She said suddenly, taking his pensiveness as judgement. "Otherwise you know I'd protect myself!"

She was trying to sound brave and this is what finally broke his heart. Lu Ten was mocking her weakness while he had been imagining her cruelty.

"Azula, are you safe in Omashu?" Zuko asked. Azula looked up at him and nodded.

"Oh yes. Mai's family is treating me very well. And Tom-Tom is just the sweetest little boy." She answered.

"So you're not frightened?"

"I am, from time to time. But I just remember what you told me, how we're all going to be a family again when you're the Fire Lord." Azula said happily. "And we'll even have father back!"

Zuko's left eye twitched but he ignored it.

"You don't think he'll be too angry?" He asked. Azula gave a real laugh and relaxed her grip on his arm.

"I think he'll be plenty angry. But we can take care of that together." She said.

They kept walking hand in hand, and Azula relaxed a little more. She looked around their environment, commenting on the life that passed in a wide berth around them. As she talked, however, Zuko realized he had no idea how he was going to find their bodies. Or if that was even the right way to go about this.

"Zuko?" Azula sounded frightened again and Zuko looked over at her.

"Hmm?"

"That spirit is getting awfully close." She said with sharp anxiety. Looking up, Zuko saw a large shape barreling toward them.

Swinging Azula behind him, Zuko once again tried to call up his fire, but nothing happened. Repeating the forms a few times, trying to pinpoint his focus, he still produced nothing.

"Zuko!" Azula screamed.

He looked up and saw a dragon flying toward them.

"Run!" He yelled and turned, taking her hand again as he started running. As fast as he was going, he knew it was no match for the spirit. And sure enough, a shadow passed over them as the spirit reached them.

It twisted in the air, turning to face them as it lowered. Zuko stopped and kept Azula behind him, still holding her hand firmly in his.

"Stay back!" He yelled and the dragon regarded him. Then, without a sound, a long whisker darted forward and touched his forehead.

The image blinded him and Zuko staggered backward into Azula.

He saw this dragon being ridden by Avatar Roku. His great-grandfather's dragon.

"Azula, I think he's here to help us." Zuko croaked. He stood up and Azula stood next to him, hiding a bit behind his shoulder.

"How?" She asked just as the dragon lowered himself.

"Maybe he'll take us to our bodies." He said.

"Okay." Azula's voice was small and scared, but she trusted him. So Zuko led her to the dragon and helped her up onto the spirit's back. When they were both seated, the dragon pushed himself directly upward, launching into the sky. Azula started to scream, but Zuko held onto her and shushed her.

"It'll be fine!" He said and Azula nodded, still whimpering.

The dragon flew quickly over the landscape and Zuko watched it all pass. They flew in the direction of the thickening fog and errant gusts occasionally parted the carpet. It was one such gust that split open the floor of fog to reveal a vast gorge where people could be seen walking aimlessly. Their faces were wide and unseeing; gaunt and frozen in fear.

It made Zuko shudder.

Then, when the fog was at its thickest, the dragon picked up speed. He broke through and Zuko recognized their surroundings. They were back in the physical world; specifically in Omashu.

The dragon wove his way over streets and toward the massive palace. Zuko braced himself and Azula squealed as the dragon rammed the stone wall. They popped out on the other side and the dragon went snaking through the hallways, his wings dipping in and out of the surrounding walls like they were made out of smoke.

Finally, the dragon stopped and slid his upper body into a room.

Where Azula stood, looking at herself in a mirror.

"What?" The Azula on the dragon said. The other Azula touched the glass and then snarled, pounding her fist on the top of the vanity.

"This is completely unacceptable!" The mirror Azula said.

"You need to get back in there." Zuko urged and dragon Azula shook her head.

"I am so tired of fighting with her. She's awful." She replied.

"Then you won't have a body." Zuko said. Looking concerned, dragon Azula huffed and hopped down.

"Just take what's rightfully yours Azula. Don't let her push you around!" Zuko called after her. She said nothing, but he could see how she set her shoulders that she had heard him. Dragon Azula paused as she stood next to mirror Azula, but then leaped into her body.

There was a struggle, and it looked like the convulsions of an epileptic. Azula screamed and people rushed through the door, walking through Zuko and the dragon.

"Princess?" A servant asked in alarm as Azula sank to the floor.

"I'm sorry." Azula said weakly.

"Another nightmare, princess?" The servant questioned.

"Yes. Please," Azula went on. "Have we heard from my mother? Or my uncle?"

"Not yet, princess."

"Please, send another letter. They must know of my worsening condition. I must be allowed to return home to convalesce." Azula said, sounding both plaintive and regal. This was certainly not his sister, and he applauded this Azula's ability to overwhelm her.

"My turn?" Zuko asked, looking down at the dragon. Without warning, the dragon pushed forward, moving through the layers of stone to once again fly in the open air.

"Any chance of going back to my own body?" He asked. The dragon, of course, did not reply.

The flew on and very quickly the airship came into view. Once again pushing itself through walls, the dragon put just enough of itself into Zuko's room to let him off. Before he got into his sleeping body, however, Zuko put a hand on the dragon's massive head.

"Thank you." He said. The dragon raised a whisker and it hit Zuko again, knocking him backward and into his body.

A comet. And enough sunrises over a field of wheat to put him at the end of summer.

He knew what it was of course, and didn't even need the passage of time to tell him anything more.

Sozin's Comet was coming. And it was quite possibly the celestial event needed to push Zuko back into his world.

As long as he could find the Avatar.

Gasping, Zuko sat straight up in his bed. His skin was clammy and his hair was damp.

"Good morning prince Zuko."

Zuko turned and saw Iroh sitting next to his bed, smiling.

"Or should I say," Iroh continued, his smile fading and his eyes narrowing. "Welcome back?"


	37. Chapter 37

"Uncle!" Zuko scrambled back, hitting the wall hard enough to make him wince. Iroh sat with his hands on his knees, smiling.

"Would you like to tell me why I witnessed you in the astral plane on your great-grandfather's dragon?" Iroh questioned. Having no time to think, Zuko opened his mouth but no sound came out.

"I honestly have no idea how that happened." He finally managed and Iroh sat back.

"Now dear nephew, I must admit that you have been very suspicious recently." Iroh said while rubbing his chin. "This does not help things."

"Uncle, a spirit came to me. In the South Pole." Zuko said in a rush. Iroh looked surprised and didn't reply, so Zuko barreled ahead.

"They said that I can find the Avatar for you, since I'm related to Avatar Roku." He added. Iroh looked stern and stood up.

"Why did you say nothing of this to Lu Ten?" He questioned.

"I didn't think anyone would believe me." Zuko answered. "To be honest, it was only tonight that made me think it was real myself."

Iroh stayed silent and continued to stroke his beard, but now took up pacing next to Zuko's bed. Zuko, his heart hammering behind his chest, watched him intently.

"I can understand your mistrust, Prince Zuko, though it breaks my heart. Of course, your father had to be dealt with, I hope you understand." Iroh said, facing the wall but glancing down at Zuko.

Turning his face, Zuko looked down at his bead.

"I do know uncle." He replied softly.

Iroh sighed briefly and started pacing again.

"Your mother has been very helpful and your sister is nothing but obedient, so I don't see any reason to suspect you." Iroh halted and stared directly down at Zuko. "You wouldn't want to do anything to hurt them, would you?"

The fear in Azula's voice and the slash on his mother's arm went off like an explosion in Zuko's mind.

He shook his head.

"No uncle." Zuko said and looked up.

"Has your mother told you why I am searching for the Avatar?" Iroh asked, tilting his head upward but keeping his eyes trained on Zuko.

"No." Zuko shook his head and Iroh sat down on the edge of Zuko's bed.

"Your mother keeps secrets very well, even from me." Iroh said. Now Zuko stayed quiet and Iroh continued.

"We will see how things go in the North Pole but, I might have a special mission for you Prince Zuko." Iroh said, patting Zuko's leg. "And if you succeed where even I have failed, you may be able to redeem your miserable father."

As Iroh stood, Zuko reached out, making his uncle pause.

"Uncle, is Azula okay?" He asked. Iroh chuckled and shook his head.

"I can send a letter to the governor, but I haven't heard from your sister in many weeks." He replied. "Now get dressed, we'll be landing soon."

Zuko watched his uncle leave, blinking as the door shut. Letting out a shuddering breath, Zuko put his hands in his hair.

Maybe this could be it. Maybe he could convince his uncle to let him search for the Avatar, and he could just skip all the parts of him being a terrible person. After all, Zuko was living in this twisted mirror version of his life, and that would make sense.

But he had to get Katara and Sokka out. And he had to rescue his sister.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Zuko felt his inner fire burn erratically, causing him to shiver and sweat.

Azula, who always lied. Azula, who cared more about power than anyone who ever loved her. Azula, who had tried to kill Katara in their Agni Kai.

Opening his eyes, Zuko let out a heavy breath and went limp, his hands falling onto his bed.

This Azula was a pampered princess; scared and alone.

Standing up, Zuko dressed quickly and pulled his hair up into a topknot. He dressed in his robes, tying them up and making sure his lines were straight. He stared at himself in the mirror. His hand once again touched lightly under his left eye.

Taking in a steadying breath, Zuko turned and walked out of his room. As they moved north, the air had taken on that same cold, clean scent as it had in the South Pole. But this time, as they flew, the sun stayed longer at the horizon until it was almost constantly night. It was near the height of summer in Katara's village, which meant it was in the middle of winter in the North Pole.

The large ice wall shone like a beacon in the twilight, reflecting the light of the full moon. The Waterbenders would have the upper hand here, as the Firebenders would have to constantly monitor their inner fire if they weren't properly dressed. And, as a point of pride, they wouldn't be unless they were sleeping.

On deck, Iroh stood with Ursa and Zuri while Sokka and Katara were further off. Setting his jaw, Zuko walked to stand with his family.

Ursa spotted him and smiled, the lower part of her face swallowed by the enormous fur collar of her coat. She gestured to him, removing a hand from her muff to paw in the air, and he stood next to her.

"Isn't it beautiful Zuko? I've always marveled at the craftsmanship of the tribals." Ursa said, putting her arm through Zuko's before slipping her hand back into the muff.

"Are you cold mother?" He asked.

"Oh no dear, being around you three is keeping me quite warm!" She said and smiled brightly at Zuri.

"Is Zhao already here?" Zuko asked.

"For three days, after our little delay." Zuri answered dryly. Zuko clenched his teeth but said nothing.

"The wedding will go ahead as planned. I had no intention of us staying long anyway." Iroh said.

"For some of us." Zuri muttered.

"Funny you should say that Zuri. There may be a change in plans." Iroh said and while Zuri turned to him, Iroh looked over at Zuko.

"I hope Lu Ten hasn't been worried about us." Ursa interjected, smiling blithely and looking down at the frigid ocean.

"Let us hope my son has not gotten bored in our absence." Iroh said. "Zuri seems to be most of his impulse control."

As Ursa laughed, Zuri relaxed and smiled softly. They ignored Zuko, or seemed to, and leaned over the railing to watch an iceberg pass underneath.

At least it was going to be something different.


	38. Chapter 38

As they passed over the great ice wall, Zuko felt that same shift he had when he saw his reflection for the first time. This was a familiar place as he had been here before, but this was not how he had seen it. The view was all wrong.

In the perpetual dark, everything was lit by massive bonfires. In the shadowy light, patches of the North Pole were visible. There were four wide, flat fields that assisted with the canal lock system. For how massive they were, Zuko had once thought the Water Tribe had massive ships. But whatever navy they had once owned, it had dwindled to nothing more than war canoes by the time Zhao invaded.

Of Zhao, there were plenty of signs. Even within the canals. Two large Fire Nation ships sat in the harbor; one Zhao's and one belonging to Lu Ten. There were a few other smaller ships, still just as heavily armored but less aggressive.

As for their airship, they touched down lightly on one of the lock walls. A Water Tribe ship was already making its way over to ferry them across into the city proper.

"I don't think I've seen this much blue in my life." Ursa murmured, holding her muffler up to her face.

"Red suits you much better." Iroh replied and Ursa inclined her head.

"And it is my preferred color." She said, then turned to look up at the massive glacier walls that enveloped the whole place. "But you cannot deny its magnificence"

"It's just another wall." Iroh said, sounding amused. "And I learned how to cross those long ago."

Zuko shivered at the words and Zuri nudged him sharply.

"Are you cold, Highness?" They asked. Zuko glared at them.

He couldn't tell them how he knew true cold; after swimming in the sewers of this very kingdom during the winter solstice. How he had melted pockets into the ice tunnels to breathe before continuing on in the frigid dark. He had mastered the control of his inner fire in trip and was a mastery he could bring to this body with ease.

"Hardly." He scoffed. "I'm only considering the weight of all that ice. And the Waterbenders who control it."

"Oh the natives won't hurt you." Ursa said quickly. "After all, you are going to be the ambassador here."

Zuko took in a sharp breath, the cold air stabbing the back of his throat. As the hot pain of the frozen air hit his lungs, he started to cough. As Ursa came to him, Zuko could see his uncle stare at him with indignant curiosity.

Pushing away his mother, Zuko gave one last, hacking cough.

"Breathed in some ice." He managed through his strangled throat. His uncle's face relaxed just as Zuri thumped his back with a laugh.

"Maybe it's good you're scared of the ice. It seems to be trying to kill you." They said.

As they disembarked, Katara and Sokka were brought over. Seeing their faces, but especially Katara's open mouthed amazement, Zuko felt a pang of longing. He wanted this to be a good experience for her, to replace his own bad memories of his time here.

The thought of his fight with Katara, more than his abduction of Aang, made him frown. At least he had started to realize the truth with Aang; Katara had just been a person he hated after that day.

Thinking that he had ever hated her made his stomach twist.

"What is the matter Zuko?" Ursa asked softly. Zuko looked up and realized she had gotten them alone, at least for the moment.

"I think Uncle mistrusts me." He said. Ursa frowned, but it was a very different expression from the one Zuko often donned. The lines between her brows made her look thoughtful, and there were no angry lines pulling her lips down into a grimace.

"What did you do?" She asked. It shocked Zuko, despite her tone lacking any accusation.

"I went into the Spirit World." He answered. The lines between her brows deepened and he continued on.

"I saw Azula." He added.

"Why did you…" Ursa drifted and looked over at the group. Iroh was talking to the men on the canoes.

Turning back to Zuko, she leaned in and spoke quickly.

"Why did you go there?" She asked. She spoke with such urgency, it made Zuko nervous.

"I. I don't know. I think it had to do with the ritual." He said.

Ursa did not grab her arm, nor did she even look down. She had trained for this, had lived her adult life learning how to give nothing away.

"It called to you and Azula." She stated and Zuko nodded. She swore then, which scared him. It was a break in her costume, in her role.

"Your uncle may try to use that." Ursa said. Thinking for a moment, Ursa turned away from him, looking back at the group. They were loading up the canoes now; it would only be a matter of moments before they would have to board.

"We have to stick to our plan. You have to stay in your uncle's good graces to become Fire Lord." Ursa said quietly.

"Mother, I think Azula is in trouble." Zuko said as he stepped up to stand next to her.

"And you will be able to help her once you are Fire Lord." Ursa stated.

"But mother, she said-" Zuko stopped as Ursa turned sharply to face him.

"I am well aware of what your sister said. Who do you think has been intercepting her letters?" She hissed. Zuko took a step back, barely registering how his mother's face had contorted into something venomous.

"Then why haven't you done anything?" He questioned.

"We can't have your uncle suspecting that Azula has gone mad. There can be no weakness." Ursa answered firmly.

_My own mother thought I was a monster._ Azula's words came back to him and Zuko felt cold.

Zuko had thought that it was simply an event that had changed the course of this world. Perhaps even Lu Ten's survival had been the catalyst to change things so drastically.

But looking back at his beautiful mother's face, Zuko had another thought.

Every single person in this world was simply different, or wrong.

"Your Highnesses," Zuri said as they walked up. "Our boats are ready."

"Thank you Zuri." Ursa said with relief. "I do believe I'm catching a chill."

"Your son should do a better job assisting you." Zuri said and glanced at Zuko.

_Then who was Zuri?_ He wondered.


	39. Chapter 39

As they stepped gingerly into the canoes, Zuko looked over to see Sokka and Katara in a different vessel. Katara waved enthusiastically while Sokka snapped at her over something. She retorted and Zuko chuckled as he watched them bicker.

Sokka had explained that his relationship with Katara had been tense after their father left. For how Zuko had seen them, it was hard to believe. But if this was how it had been for them, it didn't seem too bad. It was definitely preferable to the relationship he had with his sister.

Well, not this Zuko and this Azula. They apparently got along very well.

Zuko sat back in the canoe, wedging himself into the corner on a polar bear dog pelt. He watched as his mother talked excitedly at Iroh, not looking to be in real conversation. Zuko couldn't figure out what their relationship was. Iroh treated Ursa like a niece sometimes, but other times the intimacy of his touch made Zuko's skin crawl.

As he watched Iroh tug Ursa's collar upward and she quieted, turning her face away demurely, Zuko finally realized what it was.

Iroh wasn't treating her like a niece, he was treating her like a much younger second wife.

He doted on her, but lingered in a possessive way.

Bolting upright, Zuko turned to look out at the other canoe. Katara was yanking Sokka around, pointing at things and not paying attention to any other human being. Still, her excitement distracted him and Zuko smiled a little to see even from the distance how bright her face was.

When they finally docked, Zuko again turned to watch his uncle and mother. Iroh got out first and then turned, holding his hand out. Ursa took it gently and stepped up with such grace, the canoe barely rocked. Even as she stood on her own two feet, Iroh kept hold of her hand and said something to her that Zuko could not hear. His mother laughed, the same clear laugh he knew from his childhood, and took her hand back to slip it into her muffler. Iroh smiled at her and then turned to Zuri, giving them a curt nod.

"Alright Highness, your turn." Zuri said and yanked Zuko forward. With a grunt, Zuko was unceremoniously shoved upward and he stepped lightly on the balls of his feet to make it onto the ice. Apparently, this bit of agility was uncommon for this Zuko. Ursa stared at him and Zuko paused before straightening up and clearing his throat.

"I had to learn how to be dexterous on the ships." He said nonchalantly. Iroh laughed and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"That is the kind of excellence I would expect of my nephew." He said and Zuko smiled, looking to his mother for approval. She smiled back, but he could see the faint lines of worry around her eyes.

"Zuko!" Katara called and he had barely turned before she jumped on him. Wrapping both of her arms around one of his, she yanked on him as she looked back and up at the kingdom.

"It's all ice!" She said excitedly.

"It is." Zuko remarked, smiling with a softer look.

"You're gonna rip his arm off Katara." Sokka snapped as he walked up. "And that's not ideal since he's a prince."

"Oh he's fine." Katara retorted, but still loosened her hold on Zuko. "He's not a big baby like you."

"I can imagine you're excited." Zuko said and Katara turned to him, the full force of her glee blinding him.

"Well of course! Our dad is probably here!" She replied.

"I keep telling you to not get your hopes up." Sokka interjected. "There's a lot of enemy territory between home and here."

Katara, with her back to Sokka, rolled her eyes.

"Even if he's not, I'm sure someone here will know something." She said and then turned to her brother. "Plus I can probably find another teacher here."

"Zuko would be a better master for you than Hama." Sokka said and then shuddered. "That old lady gave me the creeps."

Something about the name brought up something in the back of Zuko's mind, but he couldn't figure out what. When Katara had brought up her old Waterbending master before, it sounded ominous, but Zuko knew she hadn't had one in his timeline.

Hama, whoever she was, might be another divergence, like Zuri.

"Come now, it's time we went up to meet our hosts." Ursa called and the three of them turned at once. Without a word, they all walked over to the main group, Katara still holding onto his arm.

The Waterbenders who had propelled the canoes now controlled literal ice sledges that supported their luggage and a few that would presumably transport them. What was unexpected, from Zuko's visit and Katara's own telling of the place, were the women who stood ready to haul the sledges. Apparently women were not taught any practical or martial Waterbending in the North Pole, yet these women were clearly accepted as peers with the men.

None of them, men and women both, looked pleased to see Katara holding onto him.

Nothing was said when Katara pulled Zuko onto a sledge, sitting behind him while Sokka took the rear. A woman with her braids looped together at the back of her head stepped up to a runner and waited. After everyone was seated, the Waterbenders called out and pushed forward.

The gliding was so smooth and the dark was so total around them, Zuko got motion sick from the sudden shift of his physical momentum. It was like seasickness except this crept into his head and threatened to make him violently ill.

"Close your eyes." Katara whispered and he did. Water moved back and forth past his ears, not to simulate any sound but, surprisingly, to heal. The tingling in his head dissipated and his stomach calmed.

When the water was pulled away, Zuko sighed.

"Thank you." He said.

"Keep your eyes closed. It's the only way to get used to it." Katara replied and Zuko squeezed his eyes shut.

Except for the sound of ice on ice, Zuko wasn't able to tell that they were moving at all.

When they did stop, there was enough momentum that it jostled him, letting him know the ride had ended. He opened his eyes to glitter of illuminated ice crystals. Flames, kept low, were enhanced by silver discs and fractured into diamond light by an ice cover. They were hung everywhere, not giving off any usable light, but certainly pretty. The actual illumination came from the towers of fire, impossibly housed within a framework of snow and ice. Other Water Tribals came to meet the sledges holding lanterns aloft on tall staves.

Everyone was framed around one man who stood in a richly embroidered parka, watching them all silently. As Iroh disembarked, he moved quickly to the man and bowed.

"Chief Arnook, King of the Two Tribes, I thank you for your hospitality." Iroh said.

Arnook bowed solemnly in reply.

"It has been an honor to host your son and my daughter's bridegroom. I am glad you could join us." He said. Looking at the rest of the group, Arnook's eyes landed only briefly on Zuko before turning to Sokka and Katara.

He was not as good as Ursa about hiding his emotions, and Arnook's anxiety was plain on his face.

"A lost daughter and son." He said softly.

Zuko saw Katara take a step out of the sledge, holding onto her brother instead.

"Returned to you by the Fire Nation." Iroh added and then stepped to the side. "The girl is a Waterbender."

Arnook's face tightened and Zuko clenched his jaw. Something swam just under the surface of this ice and he wondered when it would breach.

"Father!"

Lu Ten's call broke the tension and the group turned to see him approach. Zuri took in a sharp breath while Iroh chuckled at his son's attire.

He was wearing tribal wear.

"Father, this place is must try this thing they have, it's called jerky. Dried meat that is smoked! Incredible!" Lu Ten said and embraced Iroh.

"Chief Arnook has shown remarkable patience with me as I've gone stumbling about. As I have to admit, this darkness is bound to drive any Firebender a little bit nutty." He continued.

"Ah, auntie!" Lu Ten said, breaking away from Iroh and turning to Ursa.

"Hello nephew." Ursa replied congenially.

"And cousin! I heard you got a little bit kidnapped." Lu Ten said, heading now for Zuko.

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle." Zuko retorted and Lu Ten laughed.

"Are you sure? Or did the Waterbender save you?" He asked and moved his arm around Zuko's shoulders before he squeezed them.

"Excuse me." Katara said and Lu Ten paused to look at her.

"Sorry," She went on. "But, is my father here?"

"Your father?" Lu Ten blinked and Zuko shoved him off.

"Not you." He said to his cousin and Lu Ten looked around.

"Your father, child?" Arnook asked. Katara stepped forward, moving through the Fire Nation contingency.

"My father, well, all of the men of my tribe left a few years ago to come here. To support the kingdom." She said. "His name is Hakoda and I am his daughter, Katara. And my brother is Sokka." Katara spoke quickly and gestured backward to where Sokka still stood.

Arnook looked at him when she did, but shook his head and refocused on Katara.

"No, I'm sorry. You and your brother are the first ones from the South Pole to come since the time of the Avatar." He said. Katara's head fell and Sokka rushed to her.

"But," Arnook said and Katara lifted her face to look up at him. "Now that you are here, we will try to find him."

"Ah but before that," Iroh interrupted. "Someone has to get married."

Arnook's face soured and Zuko had to fight his urge to wince. The man had to do better about masking his emotions.

Because he could now see fault lines in the ice.


	40. Chapter 40

The wedding would take place the next day, though how anyone knew what a day was during the winter here was beyond Zuko's comprehension.

Luckily, the moon was nearly full and illuminated ice all around them. The white light filtered through all of the frozen sea ice, making everything blue. His hands, normally just the royal pale of being kept indoors, resembled the flesh of a corpse. Flexing his fingers, Zuko looked around at the other people seated at the ice tables.

The dining area was an open field of ice with a large pit at the bottom. There a group of waterbenders submerged a giant sea crab, setting it to boil without fire. Iroh nodded appreciatively, stroking his beard as he watched the Waterbenders at work.

Arnook was at the center of the head table. To his right was Iroh and Lu Ten, given their spots of honor as the Fire Lord and Crown Prince. To Arnook's immediate left was an empty seat, but Zhao sat at the end looking as he normally did.

Had.

Zuko swallowed a stone, feeling it plunk ungenerously into his gut.

"The Princess Yue." Someone announced and everyone turned. Arnook stood, causing the rest of the guests to stand as well. As Arnook opened his arms, Zuko spotted the young woman and froze.

He had only seen a glimpse of her. The white hair retreating as he went against Katara. Then all of his focus had been on her, on getting Aang.

This Yue walked with her chin up, her hands hidden deep in her sleeves, and her jet black hair coiled in serpentine braids.

Feeling his hands curl into fists, Zuko forced himself to relax them and breathe. He watched as Yue ignored Zhao, going instead to greet her father. They embraced and Yue sat down, signalling to the others that they could also sit.

Gripping the edge of the ice table, Zuko made himself feel the burning cold.

"She looks intense." Katara whispered from down the table.

"She looks livid." Sokka whispered back.

Arnook, still standing, addressed his guests.

"Tonight, we celebrate my daughter, Yue. Tomorrow, under the Moon Spirit's light, she will be wed to Admiral Zhao, of the Fire Nation." He said.

There was silence at his words, but he continued on quickly enough.

"As you all know, my daughter is a miracle, given by the Ocean Spirit. Had La not blessed her with her health, my daughter would have perished. To see her married to a Fire Nation man, we see the bonding of water and fire. Tomorrow, we will know that the war is truly over between our nations." Arnook said.

Now there were cheers and applause; enthusiastic but not emotional. After one hundred years, they were all willing to swallow anything to get the war to stop.

Yue kept her head held high and she didn't look either to her father or to her bridegroom.

She did not look happy.

"Let us feast, to the blessings of Tui and La!" Arnook called out. A chorus of cheers replied and Arnook sat down, letting the cheers turn into chatter.

The massive sea crab was hoisted and carved up; large platters of food were brought to each table and served.

"Are you okay Zuko?" Katara asked, leaning over to speak to him quietly. Zuko nodded, piercing some of the crab meat with his fork.

"Something is going to happen, but I don't know what." He said.

"Well, how much is similar?"

"Nothing. Not even Yue. She-" Zuko stopped and looked up.

Yue was staring directly at him.

Her eyes narrowed.


	41. Chapter 41

The dinner was easier to get through than any evening Zuko had experienced so far. There was the large buffer of the Water Tribe, so he didn't have to interact directly with his family, or Zuri. While the food was being served, the guests started to segregate and his own party followed suit. Seated among the other women, Zuko watched as Ursa spoke politely to her seatmates. Iroh was engaged exclusively with Arnook and Lu Ten was attempting to pull Yue out of her shell.

Zuri, given the choice to sit with either the men or the women, chose to sit with the women. Specifically, next to Katara. Zuko sat with Sokka and curiously watched him.

"What do you think of Yue?" Zuko asked. Sokka looked at him, surprised by the question, and then they both looked up at Yue.

"In what way? This is my first time ever seeing her you know." Sokka replied dryly.

"Well, what's your impression of her?" Zuko asked.

"She terrifies me." Sokka then turned in his seat to look back at Zuko. "Why? Who is she in your world?"

Zuko shrank at the question, glancing around. No one seemed particularly interested in their conversation.

"She, well. You. Uhm." Zuko started but couldn't find the thread to his thoughts.

"Me and the princess? Like, that princess?" Sokka balked and Zuko rushed to quiet him.

"No, not quite. She was different and," Zuko looked back at Yue who was ignoring everyone and focusing on her plate. "It didn't work out."

"Great, so not something we need to worry about this time around." Sokka muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't sound like I'm supposed to seduce the princess or something to help us find the Avatar."

Zuko looked down at his own plate, at the pile of crab meat and various unidentified vegetation.

"No, I suppose you're right." He said.

"You know Zuko, it would be a lot easier to be your friend if you stopped expecting me to be him." Sokka remarked. Startled, Zuko raised his head and looked over.

"Huh?"

"I'm a different person you know. Like, sure, I've gone through a lot of the same things but even twins are different people."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I've been treating everyone like that. It's just, really difficult." Zuko admitted.

"Do you think the other you is handling it any better?"

"The other," Zuko paused. "Oh no."

He could feel the blood drain from his face. This had been an empty vessel, unlike what he now knew about Azula. That meant this Zuko's spirit was somewhere else. Most likely, in his own body.

"I have to get back." Zuko whispered, letting his knife fall onto his plate.

"Sure, but come on now, we still need your help." Sokka said urgently, touching Zuko's arm.

"I have to go." Zuko said in a rush, pushing himself up from the low table. Just as Sokka called out for him, he darted away from the dining hall, feeling burning bile work its way up his throat.

For the burning fever his sudden sickness brought on, the coolness of the ice palace escaped him. The walls were immense; all one solid block of ice that was so clear, the light reflected eternally within made it opaque. It was hard and wet in a way that fire obviously was not, yet when Zuko placed his hand against the surface, it burned just the same.

He darted into the palace itself, the main hub of the city's apex. It was mostly deserted, as the residents were all at the dinner. The sounds of grit against ice or dragging things told him others moved about in the frozen halls; servants still at their work.

Turning a corner and finding the hallway empty, Zuko pressed his back against the wall and slid down. As he sat, he rested his head against the wall, waiting for the damp chill to enter his body and calm the fever.

This wasn't a fever dream, though this body was doing its best to reject it. To reject didn't belong here, and it wasn't a supernatural destiny that brought him. The call of his beloved uncle, the bonds of his mother's blood, and the lack of an anchor in his own life had ripped him from one world and through the spiritual veil.

Had this Zuko been cast out? What force had decided to eject the rightful version and where had he gone?

Zuko tried to imagine what the other Zuko would have awoken to. In a bed, no longer on a freezing ship. He would be home and having obtained the goal that this world was scrabbling to achieve for him. But his mother would be gone. His beloved sister would be insane. His father more murderous than the one left behind. Lu Ten would be dead and Iroh would be his only solace.

Something had happened, because Aang was looking for him. They had found the imposter, or he had willingly exposed himself. That Zuko was in a much safer place to do so.

They wouldn't know how to get him back.

It was obvious that Zuko had only the faintest grasp on this body. Aang's calling had been enough to pull both Azula and himself into the Spirit World.

Zuko furrowed his brow in frustrated thought. It was also possible that the other Zuko knew more about the rites and rituals of his uncle and that was why his sister had come and not Zuko's.

"Was the meal not to your liking, highness?" A cool woman's voice asked. Zuko scrambled to his feet, taking a step back from the pair that confronted him.

Yue looked menacing and her guard, a woman with a strange symbol embroidered on the left breast of her parka, stood just behind her.

"It was not the food, your highness. Your hospitality has been a welcome relief from my travelling." Zuko said as he hurried into a bow.

"Are you ill then?" Yue asked. "We have the best healers in the world."

"A small fever only, princess. I think I'm just overwhelmed." Zuko said.

"I didn't realize the prince had such a delicate constitution." Yue replied. Zuko frowned but felt his face flush in embarrassment.

"I've not seen someone soul bound to a spirit before. My own interactions with them have been less than pleasant." Zuko said. Yue looked, for only a brief moment, shocked by his admission.

"You have conferred with spirits?" She questioned.

"Not of my own volition, your highness." Zuko said and Yue scoffed with a smile.

"They often do as they please." She said and then softened. "If you are unwell, we can see you treated."

"Thank you princess, but no. I will be fine. My constitution is normally a bit stronger, but I think the ice is a bit daunting." Zuko said.

"Fire doesn't catch well here." Yue said darkly. "Though it tries."

"Fire has its uses."

Yue regarded him coolly and Zuko watched her face. Her blue eyes were so dark, they were almost black. They matched her hair, which was more like ink than the sable other water tribals had. The combination was unnatural.

"What use will your fire have here, Prince Zuko?" She inquired. Zuko shivered under her stare and she noted it with a small smile.

"I'm sure my uncle has a plan." He said. Yue's smile disappeared, drawing the rest of her face down into an unpleasant stare.

"The girl you arrived with. I'm told she is a Waterbender." Yue said, taking in a breath and setting her shoulders more squarely.

"Katara, yes. She's had some training." Zuko answered.

"But not her brother."

"He is not a Bender, your highness."

"Interesting. Well, I hope you return to the dinner," Yue said and began to turn away. "We want you to enjoy your stay."

"Are you not returning, princess?" Zuko questioned.

"No." Yue kept her back to him, but her face came into view like the waxing crescent moon. The curve of her cheek was of burnished bronze, becoming a metal facsimile of the moon that hung in the black sky of her hair.

"I have a wedding to prepare for." She said softly. As she started to walk away, Zuko panicked and stepped forward.

"Princess." He called out and Yue stopped. Her guard turned, looking just as menacing as Yue had at the beginning.

"Would you meet with me? At some time?" He asked, his voice halting.

"For what purpose, Prince Zuko?" Yue asked. It was odd to address her back, but Zuko relaxed himself and ignored the guard.

"For friendship." He said. Yue said nothing, but started to walk away. The guard looked at him, examining him, and then followed her mistress. Zuko stood in the hallway of ice, still feeling sick. Still, the fever inside of him subsided, and Zuko returned to the dining hall.

He would need all the help he could get.


	42. Chapter 42

The dinner lasted for awhile. Zhao was gone by the time Zuko made it back to his seat, but no one else seemed inclined to leave. Katara was talking animatedly with the other women around her, while Zuri looked frustrated. Whatever they had hoped to accomplish by sitting with Katara, it hadn't worked.

Sokka was more reserved,looking uncomfortable around all the other men. A few tried to engage them both in conversation that was relevant to their age; mostly it involved asking if they were betrothed.

That did give Zuko momentary pause, as he really didn't know. No one had spoken of it, and apparently his romance with Mai here had been ended, so he assumed not.

Ursa was the next to leave, and Zuko watched her walk by the head table. She bowed to Arnook and then to Iroh, moving her hand to her mouth as Iroh said something to make her laugh. Then she continued on, not bothering to look back at Zuko at all.

Only a few hours later did Arnook and Iroh get up, retiring to speak privately. Lu Ten toasted his father before falling back into some sort of drinking game with the other young, unmarried men of the tribe. He seemed to be doing fairly well and it brightened Zuko's spirits a bit.

Zuri, looking incredibly uncomfortable, still didn't make a move. Finally, Sokka put his hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"I'm beat. Ready to head to the room?" He asked.

"Together?" Zuko questioned.

"Well it's not like someone's told us otherwise. Besides, it's kind of how things are done here. It gets a bit cold if you hadn't noticed." Sokka paused and leaned back, looking Zuko up and down. "Actually, can you even keep your bending on while you're asleep?"

Feeling sheepish, Zuko looked down at his plate. "No."

Sokka laughed and shoved his shoulder, making Zuko smile.

"We all bunk together to stay warm. Families stick with families of course, but this time I'll probably be going with the other men since it'd just be Katara and me." He said.

"Are you talking about our sleeping arrangements?"

Both Sokka and Zuko jumped at the sudden voice next to them. Zuko turned, bracing himself against the table to look at his cousin.

"Yes. I was thinking it's time to rest." Zuko stopped and glanced upward. "Not that you can tell."

"The Northern King has set up rooms for us that are heated. But if you'd like, you are welcome to stay with your friend." Lu Ten paused before the last word, giving Sokka a bemused smile.

"Okay." Zuko said, sharing a look with Sokka.

"But," Lu Ten leaned in closer, putting his elbow on Zuko's shoulder. "Do you think you'd be welcome?"

Zuko lowered his face.

"He's with me. He'll be fine." Sokka stated. Zuko felt the weight lift from his shoulder but kept his face down.

"Ah of course. But make sure you take very good care of our prince." Lu Ten said. He then ruffled Zuko's hair, making him toss up his hands.

"Good night then!" Lu Ten added before walking toward the center of the hall.

"What is his deal?" Sokka murmured.

Smoothing down his hair, and grumbling over his topknot, Zuko watched as Zuri met Lu Ten and started talking. Zuko didn't answer, but just watched the two. When he did look around, he saw that Katara was gone.

"Let's just go." He said and stood from the table.

With the feast winding down, the halls were more active than when Zuko had met Yue. It made them different, with voices echoing off the smooth ice walls. The glacial walls flickered with refracted torchlight. Zuko touched one as they passed, seeing the flame embedded in the ice and giving it depth. It was like there was another room just on the other side.

"Do you know where we're going?" Zuko questioned. Sokka snorted and waved a hand.

"It's the same as back home. All we have to do is find a loud group of guys and it's either a hunting party or sleep." Sokka put his hands behind his head and looked around. "And we don't typically go hunting in the middle of the dark season."

"Does it not bother you to be here?"

Sokka gave him an odd look. "Should it?"

"It's a totally different place. I mean, I'm freaking out a bit."

"Well, I mean, these are my people. And any intimidation I feel is kinda overshadowed by the fact that they knew the South Pole was vulnerable and just, left us alone."

"That's pretty practical."

"Zuko, I live in a place where the sun doesn't shine for three months out of the year and if I don't plan appropriately, I could freeze to death."

"Fair point."

They followed the voices till sure enough, they entered a room where a group of young men stood talking loudly. Most of them were older than Zuko, but there were a few youngsters that were new to the room. Those were the ones who spotted them first, moving into the corner of the room to watch them.

"Hey, little brother is here!" A man's voice called out.

The ones closest to them turned and Zuko saw Sokka tense under the attention. They were swarmed and pulled into the room with the tide of bodies. Zuko couldn't figure out when he sat down, but he very suddenly found himself seated on a bed roll while men peppered Sokka with questions. The most important seemed to be the eligibility of any women in the South Pole.

From listening to the conversation, Zuko found out that most of the engagements and marriages happened in the dark season, mostly due to the lack of anything else going on.

After marriage came questions about Sokka's own abilities, something involving ice dodging. A few of the questions made Sokka uncomfortable, but the men moved quickly between topics. They also bolstered him with compliments, discussing the strength in protecting one's village with few resources. That made Sokka preen and Zuko laughed, finally able to see this Sokka happy.

"So what about you prince?" One man asked.

Zuko startled to attention, looking around.

"What about me?" He questioned in reply.

"Why are you here and not in one of the heated rooms?" The man asked. Others chuckled around him and Zuko turned about for a second.

"Well." He stumbled and felt his face warm as he glanced at Sokka. "It's…"

He looked painfully at Sokka, who sighed and shook his head before putting his arm around Zuko's shoulders.

"He's in love with my sister and wants to learn more about the tribe." Sokka said, causing Zuko to blush furiously. He burned so hot, Zuko feared for a moment that he would melt the ice floor beneath him.

The men hooting around him made it worse.

"I told you she was wearing a betrothal necklace!" Someone in the room said.

Sokka laughed, shaking Zuko as he did. Zuko only gripped his fist. He could feel the thick weave of Katara's necklace in his hand.

He hadn't hurt her here. He could do better.

He would protect her this time.


	43. Chapter 43

The sound of others breathing made it easier to fall asleep, but Zuko was still a light sleeper. As men got up in the middle of the sleeping hours to relieve themselves, he woke each time. Finally, after the most recent man returned and settled back on his bedroll, Zuko dislodged himself from the tangle of bodies.

It had been warm, and Zuko shivered as the body heat left him. As he started to regulate his internal temperature, he carefully picked his way around the bedrolls to the exit.

Tiptoeing through the palace at this hour was probably not the best idea, but he was restless. And, for the first time, Zuko was without a guard. The potential to roam was too alluring to resist.

Once again, with the halls empty, Zuko found himself feeling both the expanse and the claustrophobia of the ice corridors. The torchlight was caught in the clear blue ice and Zuko let himself stare into the phantom rooms as he walked. They were not truly reflective, so only the faintest of shadows crossed with him. It reminded him of the fog in the Spirit World.

With that, he stopped and touched a wall with a hesitant hand, partly expecting to pass through it.

"Must we always meet like this?"

With a jump, Zuko turned and found Yue at the head of a small cohort of guards. Zuko relaxed at her smile and he rubbed the back of his head.

"There is something enchanting about an ice palace. It's only fitting to meet a princess in such a fantastical setting." He said. Her startled face made him freeze and his pulse thrummed as Yue turned her face away.

"Are you," She started and then faced him again. "Having trouble sleeping?"

"Through no fault of your hospitality, I assure you." Zuko replied.

"Always so courteous. Are you trying not to offend me?" Yue asked.

"Years of training unfortunately." Zuko said with a sigh and Yue laughed.

"Well, prince Zuko, if you are truly looking for friendship, would you like to join me?" She asked.

"Of course princess." He said.

Yue walked up to him and he fell in step with her as she continued down the hall.

"Why are you awake, if I may ask?" Zuko inquired.

"You know that I am bonded to the ocean spirit?"

"Yes."

"Well, when the moon is full, I often feel a calling. I can't sleep and I spend my time at the oasis." Yue glanced at him. "Have you been?"

His first answer leaped into his throat and Zuko had to force it back down.

"I have not. But I've heard a lot about it." He said.

"It's lovely. But then again, I'm biased." Yue laughed briefly, but her eyes looked tired. "I've never seen any other greenery in my life."

"You've also never had allergies. They're miserable."

"I'll have to take your word for it." Yue said, looking a bit happier.

"Will you be travelling to the Fire Nation?" Zuko asked. He continued after seeing Yue snap to attention. "After the wedding?"

"Travel?" Yue repeated, sounding momentarily dazed. "No. No, I don't think I will be."

"Princess." Zuko started and shied away when Yue looked at him. "I'm sorry."

They walked in silence, but it was an easy quiet. Behind them, the many footfalls of the guards were muffled; their hide boots making soft thumps on the ice floor. It wasn't quite a march, but they were all in time. To be fair, falling out of synch would be discordant in such a quiet environment.

It was the body's natural lean toward comfort, to falling in with the group. It was what Zuko had been trying to do this whole time but couldn't find the right tempo.

Yue was someone he knew of but didn't know. He fell in step with her easily.

The sound of the waterfall broke the silence, long before they reached the entrance to the oasis. Yue's step quickened without a thought and Zuko smiled to himself as he recognized her happiness. The guards at the oasis parted before her, eyeing Zuko suspiciously. Zuko ignored the looks, distracted by the scent of wet earth.

"Wow." Zuko breathed the word out, taking in the sweet air of the oasis when the syllable left him.

Yue said nothing but when he turned, Zuko found her watching with a smile.

"What?" He asked cautiously.

Yue shook her head, tossing the loops of her braids.

"Neither the crown prince nor my bridegroom saw this place with as much awe." She replied.

Her words made him uneasy in more ways than one. Of course, he hadn't seen much of the oasis when he had visited in his timeline. And now, he was showing Yue exactly what kind of treatment she was about to be tied to.

"It's a beautiful place." Zuko said.

"I've always loved it." Yue remarked, looking now over the lush space. Wordlessly, she began to take off her flowing coat and Zuko helped her out of the deep sleeves.

"Before, I thought I might've wished you were my bridegroom for your youth. Now I think it would've been better as we could be friends." Yue said as Zuko gently pulled her coat off, taking the bulky thing into his arms. He stared at it, watching the thin ermine hare fur wave under his breath.

"We usually don't have much choice in the matter." Zuko said softly and handed the coat to a guard.

"Is the Southern girl your intended?" Yue asked. Zuko felt his face warm but shook his head to dispel a blush.

"No. The necklace was her mother's." He said.

"She's pretty." Yue said.

"So are you." Zuko replied. He gave her a quick grin. "What good is youth if it isn't pretty?"

Yue smiled but the tired look returned to her face, drawing it down. She said nothing as she walked on, heading toward the pond. Zuko didn't move, only watched her.

She moved slowly over the bridge, a dark figure that looked solemn.

No, she's lonely. Zuko thought.

When she made it to the pond, then he ventured over. They stood side by side, looking down at Tui and La.

"Did the Fire Lord tell you to befriend me?" Yue asked.

"I think he expected it of me." Zuko said. "But I wasn't ordered to, no."

"Then why do it? Why seek me out?" She asked.

"I've," Zuko laced his fingers together, turning his hands over to expose his palms. "Become entangled with the spirits. I thought you might understand."

"Do you owe a life debt?" Yue questioned sardonically.

"Not quite." Zuko answered with a laugh in his throat.

"Then I'm afraid I can't offer you much insight."

"Like I said princess, I'm looking for friendship. Not insight."

Yue looked shocked at his words and turned to face him fully.

"Are you serious? You actually want to be friends? No other machinations?" She asked.

Perplexed, Zuko nodded. "Of course."

Looking pained, Yue took his hands into her own. She was chilled and the warmth of his skin made her squeeze.

"Will you do me a favor then?" She asked.

She sounded so serious that Zuko straightened, setting his shoulders.

"Of course." He replied.

"After the wedding, you must stay with your friends." She said.

"I had intended to." Zuko replied.

Yue squeezed his hands harder, shaking them as if they were reins.

"Promise me. You will not leave their side." She said.

Uncertainty draped over Zuko but he nodded.

"I promise." He said.

Yue sighed in relief and released his hands. Shaking her head, she turned back to the pond.

"You were offered up as tribute Zuko, so I trust that you were meant to be a token of goodwill." She said. "Seeing you like this, I don't want to be another person that ruins something good."

"Princess…" Zuko drifted, looking at Yue's face in profile. "Yue."

She turned. Her eyes were black as flint and a ring of blue ice glowed at the outside of her irises.

"We'll be friends." She said.

Her voice was like a crashing waterfall.


	44. Chapter 44

Zuko heard the dirt shift as he stepped backward. His reaction made Yue pause and a look of confusion flickered over her face.

"You should leave." She said quietly, turning away from him and looking down at the pond. Zuko tried to walk back to her, but found someone holding his arm. Turning, he found her guard.

"Time to go prince." The woman said, her voice gruff and thick with irritation. She shoved Zuko back toward the bridge and he went. He looked back over his shoulder at Yue, but she was still staring at the pond. The guard shoved him again and he walked obediently with his face forward.

Exiting the oasis, Zuko suddenly did not appreciate being alone with the armed escort. There were a thousand ways someone could disappear on the ice, and not every person working in the palace cared about politics.

"Zuko?" Katara's whisper broke through his apprehension and Zuko looked around. His pause made the guard grumble, but luckily Sokka and Katara appeared from around a corner.

"Oh." Katara said, seeing him with a guard.

"Where were you?" Sokka demanded, rushing up to Zuko and ignoring the guard. "You can't just go sneaking off in the middle of sleeping hours."

"That has been made apparent." Zuko replied dryly, tilting his head back to reference the guard.

"Thank you for finding him. We'll take him back to the room now." Katara said, pulling on Zuko's arm. The guard hesitated for a moment, looking between Katara and Sokka.

"He's not to leave again." She said and Sokka nodded.

"Of course." He replied. The guard grunted and left, walking back toward the oasis.

"Where were you?" Sokka asked again, as soon as the guard was out of earshot.

"I ran into Yue." Zuko answered.

"You were with the princess?" Katara questioned. She looked disappointed and Zuko knew he had overstepped.

"I promise, it was nothing Fire Nation related." He said. She still frowned, looking down with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Let's take Katara back and head to our room." Sokka said.

"I can find my own way." Katara snapped and walked off, leaving Sokka to stand watching her go. He looked as confused as Zuko felt.

"So what's Yue's deal again? Turns into the moon?" Sokka asked and then faced him.

"Yeah, but that's not going to happen here." Zuko replied with a sigh.

"Why not?"

Zuko looked around, then put his hand on Sokka's shoulder and looked knowingly down the hall. They started to move in silence, heading to the shared sleeping quarters.

"Yue's bound to the Ocean spirit here. I don't know how that would work if Zhao kills the Moon spirit, which," Zuko sighed again, rubbing the back of his head and shrugging. "I don't think is the plan anymore."

"Well duh, the Fire Nation doesn't seem to have brought an invasion force this time." Sokka replied.

Zuko stopped, his hand now frozen at the back of his head. Sokka looked at him, waiting.

"Didn't they?" Zuko asked.

Sokka frowned and they started walking again. Zuko's hands went limp down by his sides as he thought.

Yue had called him a tribute, Lu Ten said he would try to get Zuko back in the palace, and Ursa had told him he was meant to be an ambassador. Zhao would leave after the wedding and Zuko was going to be installed permanently here, but for what reason? Why bring a Southern Waterbender and leave a Fire Nation prince in the North Pole?

"I don't know why I'm here." Zuko murmured.

"You've already said that." Sokka retorted.

Zuko blanched and shook his head. "I mean this me, this Zuko. Why was he meant to be here?"

Blazes it was weird to consider himself as something else.

"Clearly there's some nefarious plot going on." Sokka said nonchalantly. "But what are we going to do about it?"

"Yue said I should stay with you and Katara after the wedding." Zuko said.

"That's ominous."

"Absolutely. So I don't know if we have to do anything." Zuko paused before adding on. "Yet."

They walked back to the sleeping quarters and settled in. Sokka dropped off almost immediately while Zuko lay awake listening to the sounds of the other men. It was warm, without him even needing to worry about his breathing. The pallets themselves were thin and dropped haphazardly in places, but the furs were laid out in abundance. Heaps of them disguised the lumps of men buried under them like polar bear dogs in their snow dens. There were a few blankets, which were more like woven sacs filled with some arctic bird's down. Everything was lumpy, a touch too hot, and overall suffocating.

It was a completely different experience than what Zuko was used to. Even during his time with his friends he had never been so closely encamped with other people.

Thinking back to his own life at the palace, Zuko mused over the rightful Zuko's reaction to this situation.

At least they would have something in common.


	45. Chapter 45

His sleep far from restful, Zuko woke in the morning feeling slightly seasick from his lack of sleep. Not quite spinning, his head rocked unevenly and he rubbed his face vigorously to get it to stop. Before many of the men had even left the room, a guard showed up for Zuko.

They were Fire Nation men, still wearing the metal masks but thankfully unarmed. Sokka was left behind and Zuko felt a panic as he remembered Yue's words.

He was taken to his mother's room where servants were tasked with getting them ready. Against Ursa's pale face, the circles under her eyes looked like the curve of ripe plums. For her own reasons, she too had a sleepless night.

Breakfast came in the form of sliced smoked meats and dried fruit; not ideal but required so much chewing that Zuko didn't have to ask Ursa any questions, nor did she of him. There was so much he needed to know, like what everyone meant when they talked about him staying in the North Pole. But with something so obvious, he knew it wouldn't look good on him.

After getting dressed, more guards came for them. This time, they were the palace guards and neither of the two men required shoulder pads to fill out their bulk. Trying to stand up tall, Zuko was painfully reminded of his adolescent body, once again being not quite enough.

_"Yeah, well you're just a teenager."_ Aang's voice rippled from his own past, from his own timeline. Had they really been so young?

Looking over at his mother, Zuko wondered how he was supposed to overcome so many adults all at once. Especially since he wasn't as angry as he used to be and no longer felt like he could burn the world down in his fury.

Moving into the palace, the overall emotion was tense. What caught Zuko's attention wasn't the grumblings of the poor match between the bride and groom, but of the possibility of displeasing the spirits.

As they were escorted further along, Zuko knew where they were headed. Everyone seemed to be heading to the oasis, and the guards made sure to keep them separated from the Water Tribals as they moved along.

"Is the wedding going to be in the oasis?" Zuko asked.

"Of course." Ursa said with a laugh half caught in her throat.

When they made it to the oasis, torches made a glittering ring around the area. While it was morning, the moon was still heavy in the sky. It was lower than when Zuko had stood here just a few hours prior, so he knew some time had passed.

Yue was absent, though he wasn't sure why he expected her to be there. The oasis was empty and everyone moved to stand on the ice that ran as a ring around the moat.

People kept pouring into the oasis and Zuko was ushered with his mother over to a small pocket of red. Fire Nation guards flexing their hands at their approach but Ursa glided forward with a smile, moving to stand next to Iroh. Lu Ten and Zuri had their head close together, talking softly to one another. With a sigh, Zuko stood a few steps away from his mother, watching the pair at the pond.

They were some of the youngest in a sea of adults. In fact, as Zuko turned his head around, Katara was the youngest person in attendance. There were no children and not a single cry gave away an obscured infant.

It made him feel small and terribly young.

It didn't take long for the crowd to settle and they all took their seats. Kneeling quietly, Zuko only turned when he heard the rhythmic susurrus of something being shaken. Coming through the doorways, a line of shamans marched to the sound of shell rattles and hide drums. They wore masks with grotesque faces on the front and back of their heads. As they went over the bridges, they started to wail.

Standing on the grass, the shamans turned and raised their arms, shaking or banging their instruments louder. From both of the islands that led to the two bridges, one more person walked out.

Closest to Zuko was clearly Zhao. He wore his admiral's uniform but he had also donned a large mask. Tusks the size of a man's hand curved upward from a slavering jaw and darkened eyes looked haunted.

On the other island was a smaller figure, her hair pinned up with beads and painted bone. She too wore a large mask with a blood red frown that seemed to be dripping in its freshness.

The two walked over the bridges as the shamans continued in their noisemaking. When they met at the pond, most of the shamans quieted, though were not silent. Their chanting became less chaotic and Zuko could hear the ceremony performed.

It was quick, with short oaths sworn between the two. The call for children seemed to be more important than anything about marriage, as only two oaths were made to each spouse while five were about fertility.

Once the oaths were completed, Zhao turned and lifted Yue's mask. She then did the same and a loud cheer erupted from the crowd. Even Lu Ten, easily caught up in the energy, whooped, not understanding the importance.

Neither Zhao nor Yue so much as smiled.

Zhao took Yue's hand and led her over a bridge, coming down the one closest to the Fire Nation group. He glanced over and Iroh nodded, making Zhao clench his jaw and face resolutely forward. Yue didn't turn her head at all but Zuko still watched her as she walked away.

The rest of the day was for feasting.

The crowd had a frenzied energy, which made it easier for Zuko to break away but left him feeling vulnerable. Moving quickly, Zuko found the group of loud, single men and started looking for Sokka.

"Stop." Sokka demanded as Zuko felt a hand land heavy on his shoulder.

With a jump, Zuko turned around.

"You kept weaseling through the crowd every time I got close to you." Sokka added and Zuko shook his head.

"Sorry. There's a lot going on." Zuko said.

"Yeah, that ceremony was something." Sokka replied with a frown.

"Do you know what it was about?" Zuko asked.

"Apparently Avatar Kuruk's bride had her face taken by a spirit. So now, for every wedding, they wear false faces in case the spirit comes back." Sokka answered.

"That is terrifying."

"That's why we don't hunt in the dark season. You never know what lurks on the ice." Sokka paused and looked around. "Come on, let's go find Katara."

The wedding feast was not as segregated and they found Katara with relative ease. Finding a place to sit was a bit harder.

"We can go sit with your family." Katara said. "I'm sure they'll behave."

"I don't know if it's them we have to worry about." Zuko replied. Katara set her shoulders, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She questioned.

"Yue didn't want me to leave you both. I don't know what she has planned, but I can't imagine it going well for my family." He explained.

"Didn't you want to warn them?" Katara asked, dropping her anger and rushing straight into worry.

"I don't think she's going to kill them." Zuko said, then stopped to look over at the head table. Yue sat with her same stony resolve. "I hope."

As the feast went on and nothing happened, Zuko fluctuated between sweat inducing anxiety and relaxation. Iroh and Lu Ten brought up their tribute - or dowry, Zuko was not sure which - and Yue gave them a tight lipped smile.

Nothing came.

Zuko relaxed, leaned back, and smiled at his friends. They all turned to watch as Arnook stood and the crowd quieted.

"As we give thanks for the union between my daughter and Admiral Zhao, the Fire Nation also wishes to show their respect for our spirits. We will be taking our leave to return to the oasis." Arnook paused as Iroh, Lu Ten, and Zuri stood. He then turned and looked directly at Zuko.

"We will also require the presence of our lost brother and sister." Arnook added.

Zuko could neither swallow nor breathe. Katara and Sokka slowly stood up and Zuko could feel his blood rush through his ears. It crashed in his head like Yue's waterfall voice.

"I'd like to go." He blurted as he scrambled to his feet.

His mother frowned.

"I would like to also honor the spirits." Zuko went on hurriedly. Arnook looked mildly displeased but Yue touched his arm lightly.

"Let him join us." She said and Arnook nodded.

Iroh only stroked his beard, leaning back onto his heels for a second before they all started to walk out of the hall.

It would happen now, whatever it was.


	46. Chapter 46

For the third time in less than two days, Zuko was back at the oasis. It was as quiet as his first visit with Yue. Arnook walked in front with Yue. Zhao and Iroh followed after, not speaking but clearly moving with some shared intent. The rest of the group was split into two flanks; Zuko walked with his cousin and Zuri while Sokka and Katara were some feet away.

Looking up, Zuko saw the dry light of the full moon. Moonlight was bright in a more human way; it didn't hurt to look at and it felt more tactile as it lit up the surroundings. Moonlight caressed while sunshine glared.

It made things quiet, though, and more so after such a loud matrimony only a few hours before. The bridge underfoot groaned as Zuko walked across and the sound crawled up the back of his neck.

"Now, Katara, I want to explain what's happening." Arnook said as they all approached the pond. Katara nodded and stepped forward, Sokka staying at her heels.

"Here are Tui and La, the spirits of the moon and ocean." He continued and Katara leaned over to peer into the pond. Zuko remembered the look of them, their scales missing the moonlight from their pool.

"When my daughter was an infant, she fell very ill. We asked for the blessing of the spirits and La answered. Yue's hair turned jet black as a sign of the spirit's favor and, as the moon swells, she is able to Waterbend." He explained.

"That's amazing." Katara said and looked to Yue. The princess didn't seem to register anyone around her.

"Now, Admiral Zhao has found a scroll from an ancient library that talks about an ancient rite to restore our bending power." Arnook added.

"What does that mean?" Sokka questioned.

"After we lost so many Benders, we now know that it's possible for the spirits to replenish the balance. By opening up the oasis, they can bestow their blessing on the whole Water Tribe, giving us back our lost Waterbenders." Arnook said.

"But, what does this have to do with me?" Katara asked.

"The rite requires an opposing force." Iroh interjected. "Princess Yue is from the North Pole and you are from the South. The two of you will be able to harness the push and pull energies of the spirits."

"And we'll have more Waterbenders?" Katara went on. The yearning in her voice was as tangible as the moonlight and became cords in Zuko's hands. He grabbed at them and pulled, wanting to anchor himself to something in this moment.

Everything felt wrong.

Zhao had found out about the spirits in Wan Shi Tong's library and used that information to kill the moon spirit. Zuko looked over at Iroh and found his uncle holding a scroll. Turning, Zuko looked at Lu Ten and Zuri, catching the moment they shared a look.

Lu Ten had received some other correspondence from Zhao. What else had the admiral found?

"Here." Iroh said, holding out the scroll as he walked to Katara. She stepped onto her back foot and Sokka edged up, but Iroh only smiled.

"Princess Yue has already seen the rite. I should think you would need to as well." He said.

Katara looked hesitant but took the scroll, unrolling it carefully. Zuko couldn't see anything but she tilted her head and her eyes roved over the paper. Frowning, she looked back up at Iroh.

"Is it really that simple?" She asked.

"Sometimes it's more about timing." Iroh replied, taking the scroll back. "And that can be a tricky enough thing to achieve."

"Are you ready?" Arnook asked.

He was just as hungry for this and Zuko understood what had happened. Faced with the prospect of more Waterbenders, of more power, Arnook had promised his only child to be married off to Zhao. Zuko could understand why Lu Ten wasn't offered, but his own eligibility was more suited to Yue's position than Zhao's. The North Pole gained nothing but the promise of more Benders.

And a war could be won with more Benders.

Iroh would have to have known that. An army buildup was obvious to a teenager, it couldn't possibly have been overlooked by the Fire Lord himself. Which meant there was something else. Either the rite wouldn't work, or Iroh was going to get something greater from the deal.

Katara and Yue stood opposite of one another and took their stances. Zuko felt his hands tremble from a chill that started inside himself. Clenching his hands into fists, he tried to fan his inner fire.

The moon lit up the oasis to nearly perfect clarity. The sound of the waterfall was lifted by the breeze it created. The soft lapping of the pond water stirred up the scent of wet earth.

And five Firebenders rounded out the elements.

Katara and Yue began to sway, moving their arms in languid circles. For a moment, nothing happened, but soon the water from the pond began to lift. They moved in sync, bringing the column of water up.

Tui and La mimicked their push and pull from within the elevated water.

Sokka hissed as the water glowed and Zuko felt his neck stiffen.

From the roots, Katara's hair started to turn white.

"What's happening?" Sokka demanded.

"Hush, don't break their concentration!" Arnook snapped.

"Your sister is making her connection with Tui. She'll be fine." Iroh explained gently.

The cords in Zuko's hands tightened as he watched Katara's face twist in her focus.

Yue looked calm.

As the column rose to the height of a man, the glow became ethereal. At first it had resembled an iceberg of pure sea ice, but now it held a multi-colored shimmer in a white spray.

Katara's hair was almost completely white.

"Bind them." Iroh ordered.

Both Arnook and Zuko froze as Zhao and Zuri leaped on the pair.

"What are you doing?" Arnook roared as Zhao clasped a ring around Yue's neck. Zuri snapped a matching one around Katara's and she cried out.

Sokka immediately tackled them.

"The Benders must stay bound in this state to keep the portal open." Iroh said dismissively.

"What portal?" Arnook spat. "What did you do to my daughter?"

"She'll be fine." Iroh replied. "Once I find what I'm looking for in the Spirit World, she'll be released."

At the sound of Zuri's yell, Iroh looked over at them.

"Contain him." He said flatly.

Zuri leaped to their feet with fire daggers in their hands. Zuko stepped in front of them.

"No." He stated.

"Get her out of there Zuko!" Sokka yelled.

"You need to move prince." Zuri growled.

"You will not touch him." Yue said. Her voice sounded like a waterfall and Zuko turned.

Her hair rippled as if she were underwater and glowed with that same iceberg blue. Katara's hair, bone white, lifted the same way and shone from the inside.

There was the sound of rushing water, but it was the guards that showed up first. Emerging from the icy moat, Yue's personal guard erupted onto the land on a wave.

"Take care of this! I have to get through the portal." Iroh ordered and started to walk to the column of water.

Lu Ten grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop.

"Father, please, she's going to break the connection." He pleaded. Iroh wrenched his hand free and glowered at his son.

"I can make my own way out once I find what I seek." He snapped.

"You will not find him. He is beyond you." Yue said.

"Your blood that is a stranger to you will find him. He will have the key and know the lock." Katara's voice rippled out of her mouth and as she turned to speak, Zuko saw how her eyes had turned completely white.

"You will be still as those rings have ordered you!" Iroh yelled back.

Fire blasts popped behind him and Zuko jumped. The guards were throwing ice shards and water whips, and Zuri and Zhao were only able to keep on the defensive. Zuko knew if he and Lu Ten were to join, it might turn the tide.

"I am so much more than you can handle." Yue said.

The sound of rushing water manifested in a giant jettison of water, pulled from the waterfall at the back curve of the ice wall. It slammed into Iroh and Lu Ten, knocking them back toward the moat.

More water pulled from all around them, pouring together in the shape of a massive beast. The owl's head split at its beak, opening wide to let out an unearthly screech. Tentacles the size of tree trunks slammed on the ground, sending up a spray of water and chunks of earth.

The portal was still open.

Sokka had gone to Katara and was pulling futilely at the ring around her neck. He must have done something, because the portal wavered for a second.

Zhao shouted to Zuri and they ran to their targets. Zhao grabbed Arnook, holding a fire blade near the man's face. Zuri tore Sokka off of Katara and did the same to him.

Zuko needed a distraction.

Iroh, attempting to get back quickly, rocketed himself over the moat with fire. A water tentacle caught him mid-flight, wrapping around his middle and slamming him into the moat.

"That'll do." Zuko muttered.

Darting past Zuri, he made sure they saw him knock out a guard, spinning her face first on the earth. They turned back to focus on Sokka's struggling while Zuko picked up the guard's club from her belt. Keeping his momentum, he spun and slammed the club onto the back of Zuri's head.

They crumpled and Zuko thrust the club into Sokka's hands.

"Try to break it off!" He said and went running to the other side of the pond.

Zhao, trying to hold onto Arnook, was engaged with three guards, only one of whom was a Waterbender. Hoping that he was distracted, Zuko ran to Yue.

"I'm here Yue." Zuko whispered as he came up behind her.

"I'm sorry Zuko." She replied softly.

"Don't do anything you actually need to apologize for." Zuko said while he examined the ring.

"Zuko," She started but he grunted as he twisted the ring in his hands.

"Please don't kill them." He said. She stayed quiet, but Zuko found what he had been hoping for. A symbol etched into the bone ring. Clasping his hand around it, Zuko took in and released a deep breath, focusing his energy into his hand. Smelling burning bone, he opened it and the ring fell to the ground in two pieces.

"Traitor!" A man bellowed and Zuko was knocked to the ground.

"You should burn for that!" Zhao was on top of Zuko and held his hand to Zuko's face. Blood left him and his stomach flipped, threatening to upset.

Water enclosed around Zhao and he was ripped upward as Zuko gasped.

He could only see the moon.

Then Yue's face came into view as she stood over him.

"I have to leave." She said.

"Are they alive?" Zuko asked. Yue, with her ink black eyes and seaweed waving hair, smiled.

"Only my husband has perished." She answered.

"Oh."

"Goodbye Zuko. I'll remember your friendship."

Zuko blinked and she was gone.

"Follow them!" Iroh shouted, sounding distant.

Yue's face was replaced by Zuri's and Zuko frowned.

"So, still alive?" They asked.

"I think so?" He replied.

"Good, get up, we're taking over the North Pole." They said.


	47. Season 1 Finale

Zuri held out their hand and Zuko grasped it. Using their other on his upper arm, Zuri lifted him up with ease.

"What happened?" Zuko asked, looking around. The Fire Nation guards had some of Yue's people on their knees near the pond. Yue herself was gone.

"Well, Plan A fell apart so we did Plan B. And hey," Zuri slapped Zuko hard on the back. He staggered forward and glowered at them as they continued. "You dodged a bullet."

"So what now?" Zuko questioned.

"We go see the Fire Lord." Zuri answered.

Walking out of the oasis, Zuko immediately noticed the difference in the palace. Fire Nation guards went trotting down the halls in formation while Water Tribals were herded into various rooms along the way.

There were more people in red than Zuko could remember seeing before. If they had arrived with Lu Ten, they had hidden themselves very well in the meantime.

And of his cousin, Zuko was surprised when Zuri led him into a reception room where Lu Ten stood with more guards. He had ditched the Water Tribe garb and was in a modified royal tunic. It was padded just enough to acknowledge the colder clime, but not nearly as warm as what the people in either pole usually wore.

What pained Zuko, in a way he didn't have time to understand, was seeing the crown Lu Ten wore. The one that denoted him as the crown prince, heir to the Fire Nation throne.

"My lord." Zuri greeted and bowed in the traditional way. Lu Ten turned and his eyes had that razor sharpness Zuko had caught glimpses of. Lu Ten was assessing and when he looked at Zuko, he flinched.

"Are you injured, Prince Zuko?" Lu Ten asked.

Shaking his head, Zuko gave a hurried salute. "No your highness."

"Good. If you were, we would make the Tribals pay double." Lu Ten turned back to the guards and examined them. Putting his fingers to his chin, Lu Ten seemed to contemplate the people as if they were pieces of art.

"Take him to my father. I believe he's in the throne room with my aunt." Lu Ten said, speaking to Zuri.

"Right away my prince." Zuri bowed again before turning quickly on their heel. Without a word, Zuko followed, glancing over his shoulder back at his cousin.

This was so obviously not his cousin. It was feeling more and more like this Lu Ten and Azula had swapped personalities. Zuko didn't know what that would mean, to have Azula's cold cunning and murderous streak instilled in a full grown man with military experience and no need to vie for his inheritance.

Facing forward, Zuko kept his eyes trained on the space in front of him. He saw the masked Fire Nation faces and the angry looks of the Water Tribals. The tension rippled with every cluster they passed and Zuko felt his shoulders tighten.

"It's a pity about Zhao." Zuri said suddenly. Their voice was so unexpected that Zuko jumped.

"He's dead?" Zuko asked.

"Drowned and washed away we presume. I doubt we'll be seeing him again unless he's face down on some beach somewhere." Zuri tilted their head and looked contemplative. "But I hear that a lot of sea animals eat human flesh."

"What about Sokka and Katara?" Zuko pressed.

"Oh your tribal friends are fine. The Fire Lord is considering how best to use them now." Zuri said.

Zuko bit down on his cheek and stayed quiet. He remembered Katara's transformation and the prophecy she spoke with Yue. They very clearly meant him when they spoke of the familiar blood, but would Iroh figure it out? Besides his one time excursion into the Spirit Realm, there wasn't a logical leap that would make him out to be a stranger. It was one thing to assume Zuko was cavorting with spirits, it was something else entirely to think he came from a different timeline.

The only reason he believed it was because he was living it.

When they made it to the throne room, Zuko could feel the shift in air pressure. It was easier to breathe as he stepped into the open room with no one glaring daggers at him as he walked.

Iroh was indeed with Ursa and they stood close together as they spoke. Still, with the open space and the ice walls, there was enough of an echo that Zuko could overhear them as they approached.

"My brother wanted a throne so badly, let him freeze his backside on one." Iroh grumbled and held his hands together behind his back.

Ursa sighed and rested her chin on a first, regarding the large ice throne in front of them.

"I think I'd rather be exiled with him where he is than be enthroned here." She said with an airy tone.

"It wounds me to hear you say that my dear. Obviously, with your affliction as a non-Bender, I would never require you to live here. You'd have to stay in the palace for your health." Iroh replied.

Ursa tilted her head to look at Iroh and she smiled blithely. It was a smile Zuko had seen at many dinners, when his mother had to say nothing while a noxious minister blew hot air along the table.

"For my health, of course. How sweet of you for thinking of me so tenderly." She said.

"Your majesty." Zuri called out.

Both Iroh and Ursa turned; she lifted her head a fraction off her hand to look blissfully apathetic. Zuri and Zuko both bowed in turn and Ursa lowered her hand to watch them.

"Ah nephew, are you well?" Iroh asked. Zuko nodded as he stopped in front of them.

"Yes, uncle." He answered.

"Excellent. I have a job for you and the sooner we can set you off, the better." Iroh put an arm around Zuko and turned him to have them both look up at the ice throne.

"Because the North Pole has turned out to be a den of traitorous barbarians, I've had no recourse but to place it under my control. It is time the strict order of the Fire Nation brings these savages in line." Iroh said. Zuko felt his throat dry and his stomach churned violently.

"You've conquered the North Pole, uncle?" He asked.

"Conquered? No, no prince Zuko, this place is now a vassal. Once we can ensure peace and order, I will reinstate Chief Arnook and we go on our merry way back to where the world is actually hospitable." Iroh explained.

"How are the citizens taking it?"

"Oh well, there was a lot of misunderstanding at first. None of them would believe what Yue did, so they think we made the whole thing up. But that's fine, it's resolved now." Iroh squeezed Zuko's shoulder as he spoke. "We'll be sending most of the Waterbenders off to some military installments. They'll be very useful in the labor force."

"Work camps?"

"Who is saying such things?" Iroh turned, putting a hand on either of Zuko's shoulders and looked at him intently. "We'll be teaching them the orderly way of working. Have you seen their navy? For people who live on the water itself, it's laughable."

Iroh shook his head and let Zuko go with a sigh.

"We will make them better." Iroh added.

"What do you need me to do, uncle?" Zuko asked. He could barely keep the tremor out of his voice and his body fought the shudder that welled from deep inside of him.

"You are going to retrieve your father and sister. I have some questions for them." Iroh said.

Zuko swallowed hard and nodded.

"Of course. But uncle," Zuko paused as Iroh's gaze shifted to something more invasive. "What about Sokka and Katara?"

"Your tribal friends? Hmm, yes." Iroh leaned back on his feet and stroked his short beard. "They've proved to be an interesting puzzle."

"Why don't you send them with Zuko?" Ursa interjected. Iroh stared at her, his hand frozen on his beard as she walked up.

"You can't keep them here. Arnook is already a liability, having compatriots from the South Pole might make the people restless." She continued.

"But alone? I couldn't risk my own blood like that." Iroh said.

"Let me go with them. I can handle unruly children, and you know I will be better at getting Ozai out of his shack." Ursa said.

"I don't believe my brother has quite forgiven you yet my dear. No, I can't risk both of you to the wolves." Iroh replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ursa stepped forward, putting her hands on his arms and looking mournful.

"Please, my lord. I have not seen my daughter in many months, and I'm sure the governor would give me anything I asked if I need more protection." Ursa pleaded.

"What if you took Zuri with you?" Iroh asked. For a fraction of a second, Ursa's face tightened and Zuko immediately stood upright.

"The North Pole needs a governor." Zuko blurted. Three pairs of eyes turned to him and Ursa stepped back, slipping her pale hands back into her sleeves.

"It will take some time to retrieve my father. In the meantime, a governor should oversee the North Pole." Zuko clarified.

"Are you trying to strand me here you little brat?" Zuri snarled.

Zuko turned to her, focusing on looking nonchalant. "The Fire Lord needs someone he can trust and who is here. Do you have another suggestion?"

Zuri made a strangled sound and faced Iroh. "Call up that nobody with the gaggle of daughters. He's been begging for scraps ever since his wife gave birth to all those mouths."

"No, I do believe prince Zuko has a point. It would be a short term anyway." Iroh brushed them off and looked again at Zuko. "But I still cannot send you and your poor mother off so poorly attended."

Zuko's mind churned erratically as he tried to think of any suitable name. Of course, any friendly face he once knew might now be a foe, but he had to find a name that would get Iroh off his back.

"Jee." Zuko stated.

"The naval captain?" Iroh questioned.

_Good for him._ Zuko thought briefly and then nodded.

"Captain Jee has a neutral temperament and would understand the importance of the mission despite being taken away from his post. He's a very capable Firebender and more than enough to protect my mother." Zuko said.

"But not you?" Ursa chided gently and elbowed him with a smile. Zuko smiled in return, relaxing a moment.

"I can handle myself." He said.

"Of course you can." Iroh said. "Every member of my family is an exceptional Bender."

Zuko glanced at Ursa and saw her dip her head for a moment.

"I wasn't aware you were familiar with the captain." Zuri added.

"I take great care to educate both of my children, Zuri. So as not to embarrass themselves or their esteemed uncle." Ursa replied dryly.

Hurried footsteps interrupted them and they all moved to see a trio of guards enter the throne room.

"Your majesty, they're ready for your announcement." One of the guards said. Iroh huffed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Zuri, go and fetch my son. Ursa and Zuko will go and pack." Iroh looked at each of them in turn. "You leave as soon as you're ready. Do not wait for my goodbyes."

"Then we'll say farewell now." Ursa dipped in and kissed Iroh's cheek quickly. "Stay safe and warm, my lord."

"Your fondness is all I need. Make sure to keep your guard around my brother." Iroh said.

_His brother, never her husband._ Zuko thought as he bowed.

"Goodbye uncle." He said. He felt a brief weight as Iroh placed his hand on Zuko's head. It was such a familiar gesture it almost shocked a gasp out of him.

"Stay warm, prince Zuko." Iroh said and walked away with the guards as Zuko rose.

Zuri followed after and Ursa grabbed Zuko's arm as they neared the door.

"Let's go." Ursa whispered sharply, tugging him in the opposite direction.

There were too many questions that all clambered into Zuko's throat. He didn't even open his mouth in fear that something terrible would fall out. Instead, he followed his mother, staying close on her heels. She led him to one of the special rooms; ornamental furs hung on the ice walls to keep back the chill while a large brazier heated a wide, flat stone. The bed itself was covered with blankets and furs, all neatly laid out in colorful layers.

Ursa packed a few things and Zuko could only sit on her bed and watch. He hadn't even unpacked his supplies. Being in the shared dormitory, there was no space and they had only just arrived. But his mother had clearly had servants who unpacked everything, and so now she hastily shoved thick robes and fur lined capes into trunks.

"We won't be able to take them with us." Zuko said. He sounded tired and Ursa suddenly stood, a robe wrapped up in her arms. He stared at her and she stared down at the overfilled trunk. Red cloth spilled over the edges and onto the blue floor like rose petals falling onto the surface of a pond.

"We almost lost everything." Ursa said, her voice just as flat as his.

"How did you want this to go mother?" Zuko asked. He accused her of many things, both of her own sins and the sins of his real mother. Her plan had always eluded him, her goals were gossamer strings in the wind.

Ursa let her arms fall and the robe fell onto the trunk, draping it haphazardly.

"I wanted a door that even he couldn't burn down." She murmured.

Turning his face away, Zuko looked down at his hands.

"Katara could have died." He said. "Lots of people could have died tonight."

"Let them burn, or drown, I don't care which. As long as I have you, I can get back everything we lost." Ursa replied.

As Zuko heard her walk over, he clenched his hands into fists. As he saw the tips of her shoes come into view, he relaxed them again. His palms were hot.

"Zuko, your loyalty is to your family." Ursa stated. "Zuko, look at me."

Looking up, Zuko felt the tears in his eyes shift and slip out the corner. This was his mother's face. This was the face that met him in the middle of the night, a cloak on as she got ready to run. This was the face he had been searching for longer than his search for Aang.

And this time, she was taking him with her.

"Yes mother." He whispered.

Ursa leaned down and smoothed his hair back before cupping his face. She searched his face but he could only take in every line and curve he could see.

This was his mother.

"We will protect them for as long as we can. I promise." She murmured and stood up. As her fingers left Zuko's face, he could still feel a phantom touch. "You made a good choice with Jee. He wasn't someone I would have thought of, but he's discreet."

"Is he loyal?" Zuko asked. He remembered the lieutenant who fought with him, but never usurped him. Jee had been a true officer who respected the royal family, even the burned banished prince.

"We will have to see. He's an officer of the royal navy and Iroh appointed him personally. But," Ursa shook her head and bit on the tip of her thumb. "He's never questioned his orders before."

"And father?"

Ursa turned so that Zuko could see her profile. She looked nervous.

"I can handle your father." She said with finality. "We will definitely need your sister."

"You know that she's ill." Zuko retorted.

Taking her thumb away from her mouth, Ursa waved her hand in the air, moving again till her back was to him.

"Her letters are nonsense. Nightmares of a soft child." She said.

"What about the Avatar?" Zuko asked. Ursa whirled on him quickly and Zuko fell backward onto the bed.

"_Never_ speak about that." She hissed. "The tribal girl's prophecy is what got us into this mess."

With an anxious scoff, Ursa straightened herself. "As if my husband was in any sort of shape to get a bastard with someone out in the Earth Kingdom wastes. If his pride didn't stop him…"

Ursa stopped herself and glanced back at Zuko. Looking suddenly ashamed, she turned her eyes to the floor.

"You must think I don't love him." She said quietly.

Confused, Zuko sat back up with his hands on his knees.

"Do you?" He asked. Ursa wrapped her arms around herself tightly and shuffled back to the trunk.

"We need to hurry." She said, her voice low.

Zuko stood and went to the trunk, slowly picking things out. He picked the few items that would be good for travel, or that could be modified into some usefulness. Ursa sighed as he ripped silk lining out of various capes but said nothing as he tossed them away.

It didn't take long for the tunk to be neatly packed. Ursa went to the door and found a guard. She gave him his orders and then gestured for Zuko to follow her. A guard would get the trunk. Someone else would take care of things.

This was familiar; it was similar to how he had left the palace in the first place. His small crew could be ordered about and Zuko could focus on his filial duty to find and capture the Avatar. After being on the run in the Earth Kingdom, however, Zuko now felt itchy with his supplies so far out of reach. Earth Kingdom soldiers or his sister could fall on him at any given time and he would have to flee. What he couldn't grab would be left behind.

But now, he was still the royal prince, unbanished and unblemished. His royal mother had not dissipated into the shadows with traitorous rumors trailing after her. No one would attack him that wouldn't have to go through trained soldiers first.

Getting to the airship, Zuko paused on the ramp and looked around. Sensing that he wasn't following, Ursa turned.

"Where are they?" He asked.

"Zuko?" Katara's soft voice came from in front of him and Zuko looked up the ramp. Supported by Sokka, Katara stood in the open space.

Running, Zuko slid past his mother and collided with them. Wrapping his arms around them both, Zuko buried his face between where their two shoulders met.

"Hey! Watch it!" Sokka crowed while Katara laughed weakly.

"Are you alright?" Zuko asked, leaning back and moving his head quickly from side to side. Sokka looked annoyed but Katara smiled.

"Made it out with just a few white hairs." She said and gestured vaguely from under his arm to her hair.

"It gave me a few of my own." Sokka grumbled as Zuko looked Katara over. Sure enough, thin streaks of white shimmered in her brown hair.

"Now, now my son. This is unbecoming of a prince." Ursa said lightly and patted his shoulder as she walked past.

Zuko stepped back and lowered his head.

"Of course." He said quickly, but Ursa did not respond.

"Your royal highnesses, welcome aboard." A very familiar voice greeted them. Zuko moved in between Sokka and Katara to bow with his mother.

"Captain Jee, I sincerely apologize for pulling you away from your post to act as our ferryman." Ursa said while she rose. She held herself regally, looking down from her height without being offensive.

Jee bowed with military precision.

"Nothing would be a greater honor for me than to ensure the royal family reaches their destination safely." He said.

"Such devotion in an officer should be rewarded. I will speak to the Fire Lord when we return to the palace." Ursa said.

Captain Jee bowed again.

"I would be happy for having served one such as you, your highness." He said.

Ursa smiled benignly and Jee opened his arm, opening the ship up to them.

"Please, let me show you to your room." He said. Ursa nodded gracefully and they walked off, leaving Zuko behind without a second thought. Of course, being the crown prince's presumed heir didn't get as much attention as the de facto Fire Lady. Not that Zuko minded, he was not enjoying this role.

"Come on, we need to talk." Sokka said gruffly.

"Where are we going?" Katara asked, speaking more generally.

"Omashu. It's where my sister is being held." Zuko answered. Sokka turned and gaped at him.

"The nutso crazy one?" He questioned.

Zuko shook his head. "This one isn't like that. But, it's complicated."

"Well let's go, we need to make a plan." Sokka said, pulling on both Zuko and Katara.

"A plan? For what?" Zuko asked.

"To ditch this murderous cult you call a family and find. The. Avatar." Sokka said sharply, cutting his words with his teeth.

"And dad." Katara added as they were yanked along by Sokka's frantic tugging.

"Of course and dad. Also those warriors you were telling me about if we find them. They sound useful." Sokka added with clear frustration.

"Even though they're women?" Zuko asked.

"Why would I care about that? A warrior is a warrior. And it's not like I didn't grow up surrounded by women who could easily kick my butt." Sokka replied.

"I hardly think Hama and I surrounded you." Katara muttered.

"Hama is a dearly respected elder who I wish is swiftly reincarnated into a sweet little baby but she terrified me." Sokka said. "Anyone who can do what she did is to be feared."

Katara looked away and Zuko frowned.

"Fine, but I still need to rescue my sister." Zuko said.

"Is she a Firebender?" Sokka asked.

"Yes."

"Great! The more the merrier!" Sokka chirped sarcastically. "I'm not exactly equipped to deal with you freaks headon."

Sokka managed to pull them into a corridor that was cramped and smelled faintly like burning coal. That certainly couldn't be healthy in the long run.

"Here we are." Sokka announced and spun the wheel on a control panel. It opened and Zuko realized it was a tiny hatch that led into a cramped room. Two hammocks swung one on top of the other. There was nothing else.

"This is where you're sleeping?" Zuko asked while Katara and Sokka clambered in.

"You were expecting something else, your highness?" Sokka shot back with derision.

"Uh, yeah, clearly." Zuko said before ducking through the open hatch. Sokka closed the door behind him, turning another wheel to latch it.

"Look Zuko, we're in a bad place here. What have you got?" Sokka asked.

"I know what happened in the North Pole." Zuko said and looked from Sokka to Katara. "And I know what the Fire Lord is planning."

It wasn't a long trip to Omashu, but it was just enough to make a plan. Trailing in reverse, Zuko would save his sister, face his father, collect his friends, find the Avatar, and stand up to the Fire Lord in the palace.

And if he could do it before Sozin's Comet, he might just be able to go home.


End file.
